“It’s okay,” I say. “You can say it: Is there anything in particular I want to know about my grandfather.” The certainty of my tone surprises me, considering how rarely I’ve used that familial term. “Truthfully, I don’t even know what I want to know. All of it and none of it at the same time.” I pull at my seat belt and Ash looks at me quizzically. “It was just that assassin in the woods…” I look out the cockpit window, trying to push away the image of his lifeless body on the forest floor. “Are all Strategia that good?”

“You mean that deadly?” he says, and I nod. “Yes. Some are better.” He doesn’t bother to elaborate and I suppose I don’t want him to. Hearing about the numerous brilliant and talented Strategia across Europe will only further unnerve me at this point. It’s enough to know I’m deeply unprepared and that I very nearly got us both killed tonight, a mistake that I hope never to repeat.

“Why is Jag so committed to killing off my family?” I ask. “Is it just ego because my dad chose to be with my mom over staying with his Family?”

Ash shakes his head. “Possibly. I’d always heard that your father was the shining star of the Family, Jag’s favorite, who was set to rule in no uncertain terms…before Jag told the rest of Strategia that your father was dead, that is. And from what I understand about Jag, he doesn’t forgive. He’s pathological about rooting out his enemies.”

“I know the Bears have pushed back against the Lions in general, but has anyone ever challenged Jag directly?” I ask, trying to grasp the larger framework of Strategia relationships.

“You would think so,” Ash says with a hint of annoyance. “You would think that Families would be lining up to fight him. But they don’t. Everyone talks about Jag’s abuses behind closed doors and among trusted friends, but nothing ever comes of it. Layla and I used to wonder as kids how everything got so unbalanced and how the other Strategia became complacent, but it’s something that happened over time, slowly. And at the point when the head Families realized their error, it was too late—Jag’s rule was solidified and his power had become far-reaching.” Ash sighs. “These days, anyone who opposes him suffers consequences so profound that the fear of him and the Lions is deterrence enough. Even the Bears have come under enormous pressure to soften their stance or risk losing their allies. Thus far they’ve held their position, but it’s on shaky ground, and if they ever backed down completely, the Lions would run roughshod over all of Strategia.”