"You will be shown to be as weak and unsuitable as your father was," the construct said, and the calculated cruelty of the words was unmistakable. "And you will be removed. Permanently. Just as he was."
The silence that crashed through the clearing was absolute.
Eve felt rage building in her chest....not the hot, explosive kind, but something colder and more dangerous. The bond pulsed with her mates' fury, all three of them seconds from attacking the construct regardless of diplomatic consequences.
Raphael's hand tightened on her shoulder....a warning, a reminder to think strategically rather than react emotionally.
Eve took a breath. Then another. Let the rage settle into something she could use rather than something that would use her.
"Tell Lord Malachai," she said, her voice carrying the particular quality that came from her projection training....layered with just enough power that everyone present felt it, "that I appreciate his offer. Both paths are very....clear."
