Cyan sits back and regards me with an amused twinkle in his eyes. “A wise choice.”

He gestures around the table. “You’ve met Linden. Please let me introduce you to Anemone.”

“Hi,” I say, already preferring her over my great aunt.

“Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself,” Cyan says. “Lor, is it?”

“How do you know that?” I ask.

He leans forward and clasps his large hands on the table. “Do you think you’ve been moving through Ouranos undetected? Rumors have been spreading.”

“What rumors?”

He shrugs a broad shoulder. “Atlas stole you from Nostraza, where you’ve lived for most of your life. And Rion wants you for some reason I’m still trying to puzzle out.”

“How do you know all that?” I ask. “When we were in The Woodlands, Cedar had no idea what had become of us.”

Linden slams a hand on the table, making me jump.

“Do not speak my family’s name,” she growls. “My brother did not allow you into his home!”

My indignation flares, and I lean towards her, baring my teeth. “Yes. He did. He welcomed us into his home and let us eat his food and sleep in his beds. He invited us to attend the Winter Ball.” I pause, wanting these next words to sting. “He let me hold the Woodlands Staff.”

Linden hisses like a venomous snake twisting around my ankles. “Liar.”

I roll my eyes. “Why would I lie about that?”

“You must have some angle.” Linden stops and then glares. “What did you do with it? Why would he let you touch it?”

“Because it’s my family, too,” I say. “And I asked nicely.”

Linden does not care for that answer or that reminder because, if it’s possible, her expression turns even more toxic. Given how welcoming Cedar and Elswyth were, I guess we got off easy. I’m grateful Cedar didn’t blame me for Wolf’s death, too.

“Who is ‘us’?” Linden asks.

“Me and my brother,” I reply, and then inwardly grimace. She’s really going to lose her shit when she finds out Tristan is the Woodlands Primary. With the way she’s behaving, I kind of hope I’m there when she does. Maybe I should wrap up this gift with razors and barbed wire and hand it to her.

“There are two of you?” she snarls.

“Yes,” I say with a glare, deciding to leave Willow out of this for the moment. “Your brother welcomed us as family. If you aren’t inclined to do the same, then I can’t force you, but stop looking at me like that and stop threatening me.”

Linden glares for another few seconds before she takes another drink and then faces away. So it’s to be pointedly ignoring me then. Fine, I can live with that.