He didn’t charge, but turned his attention back to Hæra. “I saw you, sister,” he said, roughly, as if there were barnacles in his throat. “Standing on the shore in your true shape. I returned again and again, to see if—to find out if he, too, would” —he looked at Jonathan— “but he didn’t. Just you and her. And you spoke of love.”

“What do you know about love,” Jonathan said raggedly.

Asgall looked at him for a long, sharp moment before speaking. “An Each-uisge becomes a Stormhorse by eating a human of great worth. He was my human, or should have been. Not now, when he is…this.”

Unable to help herself, Madeleine looked at Jonathan, whose shoulders slumped, face slack with misery.

“And you are hers,” Asgall told Madeleine. “My sister’s way to her wings. Or so she believes⁠—”

“Kill him!” Hæra cried out. “Jonathan, kill him!”

Jonathan stayed still. He stared at Asgall as if nothing else existed, and he made no move to aim the shotgun.

“She wants to be the first female Stormhorse, and she’ll kill you to get it. She’ll drag you into the sea and eat everything but your liver.”

Madeleine might drop this knife if she couldn’t keep her hands steady. Nothing but lies, Jonathan had just said. Asgall only told lies. Hæra would never hurt her, she’d sworn it. How many times had she acted to protect Madeleine, starting on the night they met?

Except—just last night, Hæra sucking her finger, seeking her blood⁠—

“She saved my life.” Madeleine’s voice shook. “She could have drowned me instead, and she didn’t. I think that proves you wrong. Hæra? Tell him.”

Hæra’s head swung low. Her body swayed a little too. Was she going to collapse?

“Yes, sister. Tell me,” Asgall said encouragingly. He could easily attack Hæra now and make an end of her in front of Madeleine’s eyes. Jonathan still wasn’t doing anything with the shotgun. But Asgall stood quite still before his sister, and Madeleine knew he’d try to destroy her with his words instead.

He couldn’t do that, though, could he? Not if Hæra was innocent. His accusations couldn’t hurt her or any of them. Hæra only had to deny it.

“Tell us all that I’m lying,” Asgall said. “Or even mistaken. After all, you and I never spoke of this. You held your secret dear. I’m only guessing—and possibly I’m wrong. Say you never intended to devour your Madeleine so you could take to the skies. Swear to it.”