One of the doors flanking the grand staircase swung open. A short, portly human man waddled into the foyer, his silk robe cinched tight around his wide waist. He carried a plate in one hand and a fork in the other, cake crumbs clinging to the corners of his mouth.

  "Now, what's going on here?" He surveyed the scene with mild curiosity. "Bit of excitement for this time of night, eh?"

  I recognized him immediately. Senator Ross. The man who supposedly advocated for Naerithi rights while still maintaining his place among the city's human elite. I took a step toward him, desperate to explain our situation.

  The guard nearest to me shifted his sword into a defensive position. His head moved slowly from side to side, warning me back.

  The Senator positioned himself safely behind his guards, calmly shoveling forkfuls of cake into his mouth. Behind us, I heard the soft click of the front door as the carriage driver slipped inside.

  "There you are, my boy," the Senator beamed at the driver. "I was worried. You do stay out so late."

  The human driver removed his hat and grinned at the Senator, seemingly oblivious to, or unconcerned by, the tension filling the room. "Alright Dad? Bit of drama tonight." He gestured around before strolling past us to join the older man, who welcomed him with a warm smile.

  "You tell me, what's going on here? Where's Lilach?"

  The young man shrugged. I guessed the lilac-skinned Naerithi woman who had rushed upstairs was the one in question.

  "We picked up these two with a Naerithi," the boy explained, nodding toward Jacobi and me. "I don't know what was going on but she didn't look like they were treating her very well." His frown appeared genuine, his concern for Joy seemingly authentic.

  The Senator glanced at his guards, then at Jacobi and me, before his gaze finally settled on Joy's beaten form. He waved his fork dismissively, apparently unconcerned.

  "Well, we'll soon get to the bottom of it, don't you worry. He'll be down soon."

  He smiled widely at his son. The boy tapped one of the guards on the shoulder, and though the guard maintained his stance, his head inclined slightly toward the young man. "We have things under control here," the guard assured him.

  Father and son retreated through the side door, leaving us surrounded by armed Naerithi warriors.

  "Now look here," I started, my patience wearing thin. "We just rescued Joy. We've been looking for her for weeks! She was kidnapped and taken away from us. We found her in that condition!" My voice cracked with frustration. "We know who did this, and we will happily tell you who."

  The guard who had warned me back earlier cut me off with a contemptuous sneer. "Do you know how many stories like that we hear? Don't you worry, human. Senator Ross will get to the end of this."

  At the sound of the name, Joy stirred in the arms of the blue-skinned guard. She lifted her head with visible effort and scanned the room. The silence stretched until her small voice broke it.

  "My Ross?"

  She looked up at the guard holding her. He offered her a gentle smile. "He'll be down soon."

  Joy reached up with trembling fingers to touch the exposed part of his face within his helmet. "Corsa?"

  The guard grinned widely. "I'm surprised you remember me."

  Her arm dropped as though the simple gesture had drained what little strength she had left. Two sets of footsteps became audible on the staircase. The light tread of the lilac-skinned woman was followed by slower, heavier steps.

  An extraordinarily tall Naerithi man descended the staircase. He wore crimson robes edged with gold embroidery, the rich fabric flowing around his imposing frame. I had never seen a Naerithi of such height before. Joy, the tallest Naerithi I knew, would barely reach his shoulder.

  As I studied him, something familiar caught my eye. I nudged Jacobi with my elbow. "Look at his horns," I whispered.

  Jacobi followed my gaze. Recognition dawned on his face as well. Though Naerithi horns varied widely in appearance, we had seen this exact horn shape before on Joy.

  When the man spoke, his voice rumbled through the room like distant thunder, vibrating in my chest. "I cannot wait to hear what you two use as your excuse for abusing a Naerithi!"

  The Naerithi descended the remaining steps with deliberate slowness. The guards lowered their heads respectfully as he approached. I barely caught the murmured greeting from the head guard: "Good evening, Senator."

  Jacobi and I exchanged confused glances. The giant Naerithi responded with a mirthless chuckle. "I will explain, but first there is a patient who demands my attention."

  The guard holding Joy stepped forward, clearing his throat hesitantly. "It's Joy."

  The Naerithi Senator turned and stared at the woman for a long moment before swinging back toward us. He pointed a large, trembling finger at Jacobi, barely containing his anger. "You're Jacobi, House Velez. Is this how you treat Naerithi in your care?"

  I stepped between them, a surge of unexpected possessiveness propelling me forward. "Stand down, and bloody tell your men to stand down as well. Dammit, we've been looking for her for weeks!" The strain of the search, the horror of finding Joy in Marcelo's cellar, the dagger meant for me that she took instead. It all bubbled up inside me, unleashing something dark and unfamiliar. My voice emerged harsh, almost feral. "We just rescued her, she took a damn dagger for me. Don't you dare try and say that we did this to her! If you know her, and you know him..." I jabbed a finger toward Jacobi, surprising myself with the aggression of the gesture. "Then you know that she belongs to our house."

  The words hung in the air. She belongs to our house. Not Jacobi's house, but our house. She belongs. The possessiveness in my own voice disturbed me. When had I started thinking of Joy as something to be possessed? I had always been the gentle one, the reasonable one. The one who treated the Naerithi with respect rather than as property. But during our search, something had changed. I had tortured Dario without hesitation. I had left him to burn. And now I spoke of Joy as if I had some claim to her.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  From behind the tall Naerithi, the guard called out in a language that seemed familiar yet indecipherable to me. He gently set Joy on her feet as she struggled to stand. Supporting her carefully, he helped her take a step toward our confrontation. The guards nearest to her lowered their weapons as she approached.

  "Ross?" Her voice was barely audible, but the effect on the tall Naerithi was immediate.

  The anger evaporated from his face, replaced by affection and concern as he rushed to her side. Joy released her hold on the guard and fell into the large man's arms. Her eyes found mine, then Jacobi's, before returning to the Naerithi. She murmured something softly in that same unfamiliar language.

  "Stand down," he commanded loudly. "To positions."

  The guards immediately sheathed their weapons and retreated to their places against the wall, where they once again took on the appearance of white marble statues, a camouflage ability I hadn't known existed until tonight.

  The Naerithi studied us silently for a moment. "Follow me then."

  He lifted Joy effortlessly in one arm. She curled against his chest, the smallest of smiles touching her lips.

  The blue-skinned guard who had carried Joy removed his helmet, running a hand through his messy hair. He looked up at Ross with undisguised distress. Though he said nothing, Ross nodded and patted his shoulder.

  "Send someone else down to the guard house. You can guard her room tonight."

  The guard nodded gratefully. As he passed us on his way to the door, I noticed him raise a hand to wipe tears from his face. The door shut heavily behind him.

  Ross was already ascending the stairs, carrying Joy as if she weighed nothing. "Are you two going to make yourself useful then?"

  Jacobi and I exchanged glances before hurrying after him. As we climbed, Ross turned his head slightly. "I expect you're confused about who I am?"

  Jacobi nodded at the same time I shook my head. Ross gave me a bemused smile. "No?"

  I felt a small smile form on my lips despite the tension of the moment. "You're the real Senator Ross. Downstairs is the public Senator Ross."

  The Naerithi's chuckle vibrated through the air like a physical force. "Can you imagine the senate appointing a Naerithi to oversee Naerithi affairs?" He laughed again, but the sound held no humor, only bitterness.

  "Well, if it makes it easier. Downstairs is the Senator. You can call me Ross." His tone softened marginally. "You are family... apparently."

  We stopped outside a closed door on the second landing. Ross indicated it with a nod. "It's unlocked. Would you mind?"

  I moved ahead and pushed the door open. As I entered the room, a gasp escaped me before I could contain it. Jacobi tried to see around Ross's massive form to identify what had shocked me.

  I turned to Ross as he entered. "This is Joy's room."

  "Yes," he acknowledged simply.

  "No, you don't understand. This is what her room in our estate looks like. Exactly."

  Ross laughed softly, looking down at Joy, who appeared to have drifted into unconsciousness in his arms. "She is indeed a creature of habit."

  He crossed to the bed, laying her down with surprising gentleness. Jacobi stepped into the room behind us, his analytical mind already at work. "Matching decor aside, why do you have a bedroom here, just ready and waiting for Joy?"

  Ross smiled widely. "In case she ever decided to return." His expression sobered as he studied her injuries. "I suppose I should thank the two of you for bringing her home, despite her condition."

  He looked back at me. "You say she took a dagger for you?" At my nod, his jaw clenched visibly. "You're lucky that I don't make you take the blade for getting her into this situation."

  The lilac-skinned Naerithi woman, the appropriately named Lilach, appeared in the doorway, carrying a large bowl and an armful of towels. She pushed past us without acknowledgment and positioned herself beside the bed.

  Joy's wound had started bleeding again when Ross laid her down. Lilach quickly pressed a towel against her back, applying steady pressure. Joy woke with a cry of pain, her body tensing. Ross grasped her shoulders gently but firmly, preventing her from thrashing and worsening the injury.

  He leaned down and began making soft, wordless sounds near her ear, the kind I used when calming a spooked horse. I recognized the technique, though I'd never heard it used on a person before.

  Jacobi and I both moved closer to the bed. Joy's eyes darted around the room, focusing briefly on each of us before settling on Ross. Her expression softened, then crumpled as fresh tears spilled over.

  "This is going to hurt, but I need you to lift up for a moment," Ross told her. Joy managed to shift her position enough for him to pull the blankets from beneath her and tuck them around her trembling form. He placed his enormous palm against her cheek, effectively cradling her entire head. "We're going to tend to that wound on your back, and then we're going to leave you alone to rest. It's going to hurt. I need you to disappear now."

  The phrasing alarmed me. Jacobi and I exchanged confused glances as Joy took a shuddering breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they had clouded over completely, showing only white.

  I stepped forward. "What's going on? What did she do?"

  Ross didn't react to my outburst directly. He turned his head slightly in our direction while continuing to stroke Joy's arm beneath the blanket. "She did something that I daresay she has done a lot in the last little while." His voice carried a weight of sadness. "She's not in here right now. It's a handy little trick to avoid experiencing some of the worst features that life has to offer."

  The phrase chilled me. I'd seen Joy fight through incredible pain without flinching. Whatever she was anticipating must be truly unbearable. As I watched, her breathing slowed to an almost imperceptible rhythm, her chest barely rising and falling. The tension in her muscles melted away, leaving her body unnaturally still.

  My stomach twisted with the implications. If Joy could do this, could simply vacate her own body when pain became too much, how often had she needed to use this ability during her captivity? The bruises, cuts, and brand marking her pale skin took on new significance. Each one represented a moment when she might have been forced to flee her own consciousness.

  I felt sick with guilt. The knife had been meant for me. I should have been faster, should have anticipated Marcelo's throw. Instead, Joy had stepped between us, taking the blade that was rightfully mine. Now I stood here, whole and unharmed, while she lay broken before me.

  "I've never seen anything like this," I murmured, unable to tear my eyes from Joy's vacant white gaze. The sight was both fascinating and deeply disturbing, like looking at Joy's corpse still warm with life. "Is this... normal for Naerithi?"

  "No," Ross said firmly. "This is, as far as we know, uniquely Joy. A survival mechanism she developed long before she came to your household."

  Lilach walked around to the other side of the bed, keeping the towel pressed firmly over the wound. She lifted the edge carefully to assess the damage. "It's healing well already," she observed with a small smile."It's a clean cut at least. It should heal well with proper care."

  Ross nodded, lifting the edge of the blanket slightly to examine Joy's other injuries. His face darkened when he saw the branded mark on her shoulder. "Levanth," he growled, barely audible. His finger hovered over the raw flesh without touching it. "Yes, I can see her wounds have at least stopped bleeding. But this..." He shook his head grimly. "This will scar, no matter how well it heals." Ross pulled the blanket back over her, his movements gentle despite the rage evident in his eyes. "Clean the wound thoroughly, then let her rest. Corsa will be posted at her door tonight."

  He looked at us, his expression impossible to read. "You are, of course, most welcome to stay in my home. It is late, and I suggest you get some rest. We will see how she is in the morning." His tone hardened slightly. "Over breakfast, you can tell me the whole story."

  Ross walked to the doorway and gestured for us to follow. I took a final glance at Joy, her white eyes staring at nothing, her body unnaturally still, before reluctantly leaving the room.

  As we walked the hallway, I couldn't help but analyze the implications of what we'd seen. A Naerithi controlling political power through a human figurehead. A network of Naerithi with extraordinary abilities living hidden within the city's elite districts. And Joy, our Joy, with connections to this world we never knew existed.