“You are learning,” he says calmly.
Axel’s jaw tightens.
“You will speak only when addressed,” he says coldly.
Lucian’s gaze remains on me.
“The first flare was anger,” he says evenly, “the second was anxiety, and the stabilization required deliberate grounding.”
Atticus’s expression darkens.
“You have been tracking it,” he says.
“I have been feeling it,” Lucian corrects, and there is no smugness in his tone, only calculation.
“You are not subtle yet,” he continues, his gaze never leaving mine, “and your fluctuations echo through the suppression points.”
The word lands heavy.
“You will not manipulate this,” Axel says sharply.
Lucian tilts his head slightly.
“I am not manipulating,” he replies, “I am observing.”
I step forward despite the tension in the room.
“Then observe thi
