Arion remained beside the broken concrete foundations for several moments after Matthias finished speaking, watching the wind push fine snow across the basin and collect against the exposed roots along the forest edge.
"All of them," he repeated.
Matthias nodded.
Arion looked at him then, irritation returning for an entirely different reason.
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
The older man's expression barely changed.
"That we wanted out?"
"That you were exhausted. That August was partially a controlled release. That Claudia's mixture had reached the forest. That the elders were holding everyone together because you could not die properly."
Arion gestured toward him.
"You gave me fragments. Dominic. Adrian. Succession. Theodore. You made it sound as though all of you were waiting for someone to take command again."
"We were."
"That is not the same thing."
"No."
