Seraphina met his gaze evenly. "She comes from a small pack."
Varyn's expression didn't change. "That wasn't my question."
"That's all I know," she replied calmly.
Riven folded his arms. "You expect us to believe that a girl who silenced the curse comes from nothing?"
Seraphina's eyes flicked to him, cool and measured. "I expect you to believe what I am telling you."
Varyn studied her for a long moment, then said quietly, "I asked Riven to call you instead of her uncle."
Seraphina's composure slipped, just barely but she quickly composed herself.
"I wanted to speak to you," Varyn continued. "Not as a guardian but as someone who understands what happens when truths are buried."
Her jaw tightened. "You are assuming far too much."
"I have lived long enough," Varyn said, voice steady, "to recognize patterns. Hiding what she is will not protect her, it will only delay the damage."
Seraphina's hands curled at her sides. "And revealing it will paint a target on her back."
