“I’m fine,” Shey says. They share a brief, affectionate look that makes me uncomfortable to witness. Leonis may be a monster, but she genuinely loves her daughter, and Shey loves her back. Maybe that’ll be useful, I tell myself, trying to push away my discomfort.

“Now pat her down, will you?” Leonis asks.

Shey keeps the gun trained on me with one hand and uses the other to give me a thorough once-over. I stay perfectly still, my hands folded behind my neck and my head reeling. I didn’t plan for this. If I wasn’t drunk, Shey never would have caught me off guard—and my siblings are supposed to be here, backing me up. Where are they? Did Lyre not get my message?

“She doesn’t have anything,” Shey says, retreating to her mother’s side. “What is this about, Mom?”

“I thought the two of you were close,” I say, turning my attention to her. “She didn’t tell you about her plans for Titan?”

“Shey.” Leonis’s voice is patient, but strained. She looks directly at her daughter instead of me. “There’s a lot happening right now that you don’t understand. I promise I will explain everything to you, but for now, please hand me the gun and leave.”

Panic swells inside me. Leonis may not be able to kill me straightaway, but if she holds me hostage, she can use me as a weapon against my family. That can’t happen. I won’t let my screwup put them all in danger again.

“You didn’t find it a little surprising that your mother let me and my family leave Gaia after what I did?” I talk as quickly as possible, trying to hold on to Shey’s attention before her mother can steal her ear. “It’s because she needed us. She made a deal with my mother, gave us these Primus vials. Then she sent us to Titan and—”

“Don’t listen to this criminal. She’s only trying to save herself.” Leonis speaks above me, trying to drown me out. Shey looks back and forth between us, brow creased.

“Perhaps I should call the authorities. Let the Devans handle this—”

“No,” Leonis and I say at the same time. The room is abruptly silent afterward. Shey stares at her mother, her uncertainty and suspicion evident. I hold my tongue. I’ve already planted the seed of doubt I needed to.

“My dear,” Leonis says gently. “As I said, I will explain everything to you when I can. But for now, please hand the gun over and let me handle this. Tell Yvette and the others to stand down.”