Nyx could not argue that and didn’t.

Lorenz, however, changed tactics.

“Faunus is too young to lead such a—”

“Faunus is skilled, clever and determined,” Mars interrupted Lorenz to say. “He will bring the villain back here with your friend,” Mars promised quietly. “And when he does, that villain will be given to you to do with as you will.”

Lorenz visibly clenched his teeth.

“Faunus will find him, my brother,” Mars assured and looked to Nyx. “He will find your friend and bring him home.”

Nyx looked away, her lips thin with the effort to stop them from trembling.

“Go home, my friends, have a quiet Miet,” Mars encouraged. “For tomorrow, we have prisoners to interview and executions to plan. Chu was correct, there is much to be done to finish with this Rising. He just does not need to be here to do it.”

“And Queen Ophelia?” Lorenz asked.

“She will be a great loss,” Mars answered. “But I would wager now, with this shift in Serena, whoever she names as her successor, we will continue to enjoy good relations. Thus, if things are enough in hand, Silence and I will journey up to the Great Wohd, take it to the Seil and make Sky Bay for Elena and Cassius’s wedding, which I am certain, considering recent communications, will soon be pending.”

“And the Beast?” Lorenz persisted.

“It is my understanding we are stronger together, so to be in the Bay with Elena and Cassius, closer to True and Farah, Aramus and Ha-Lah, should he surface, we will be in a more advantageous position.”

Lorenz said nothing.

“I cannot imagine, if one dear to me, say…you,” Mars began, “was taken by the enemy, your location, their intention, your condition unknown, how I would feel. Except I would feel fury at my powerlessness. So, I urge you to do things you have power over, Lorenz, until we can find Tedrey, bring him home and beset those who took him with your vengeance.”

“I should have had more than one guard on my home,” Lorenz gritted.

“This is not your fault,” Mars replied.

“He did not only take Teddy, he almost killed my wife.”

“I am right here, amore,” Nyx murmured.

“Do something you have power over,” Mars urged.

“We will call Persephone,” Nyx said.

“I don’t want to fuck,” he bit at his wife. “I want to hurt something.”

“Then we will go to the District, find someone who likes to be hurt, and then we will fuck,” Nyx returned.

Lorenz scowled at his love.

Nyx rose. “The District at Miet is the best place to be.” She looked to Mars. “My apologies, my king. Elpis always hosted a very good orgy. But the District…”

She did not finish that, and she did not have to.

For obvious reasons, from the time he’d come of age to participate in them, he’d always avoided his mother’s orgies and celebrated Miet in the District.

“I’m going to Heden, do you go with me?” Nyx asked her husband.