I couldn't stop thinking about Lyra's confession as I prepared for Rhys's checkup. My sister had always been my rock—steady, practical, and fearless. Seeing her so unsettled by Ronan's behavior bothered me more than I wanted to admit.
"You're frowning," Kaelen observed, cradling Rhys against his broad chest while I gathered the baby's things.
"I'm worried about Lyra and Ronan," I admitted. "Did you see how they could barely look at each other during the meeting with the priestess? They're supposed to take our son alone into a sacred grove together in a few days."
Kaelen sighed, gently rocking our son. "Ronan is... complicated. He's spent most of his life distrusting humans."
"But this isn't just any human. It's Lyra," I protested, folding a tiny blanket with more force than necessary. "She's delivered his godson. She's the daughter of the Goddess, for heaven's sake."
"And that might be part of the problem," Kaelen said quietly.
I paused, looking up at him. "What do you mean?"
