He lets out a long sigh, shaking his head. "Eventually, people are going to find out you're unbound, Nessa. It's simply too big a secret to keep. It might not be this year, but I think by next year, it will certainly start to become known. We need to shift our focus. We can't hide you forever, so we need to gather allies we can trust. Powerful allies who can shield you from those who would rather see you destroyed."

"We?"

"I gave you that book because I believe in the good you can do. I won't be the only one who thinks having an unbound on our side could be the key."

"The key to what?"

"You've finished the book, which means you know about Lorkan Grace. Something the book doesn’t say for certain has to do with siphons. Lorkan Grace and Milena Grace created the siphons. We don’t know how, precisely, but we know it was them. We don’t believe the siphons could still exist if Lorkan and Milena were dead. And we have strong evidence that several siphons are still active.”

“So they’re still alive?”

“That’s the logical conclusion. We believe he's still alive. Still fueling the siphons somehow. Still using them to keep the war between Empire and Red Kingdom raging."

I shake my head. "What could I possibly do about that?"

"Frankly, I don't know. But I do know what we did in the past didn't work. We hunted down the unbound and tried to exterminate them. We killed the good and the bad, and now we have nobody left to oppose Lorkan and Milena. Maybe there's nothing you'll be able to do. But maybe there is. I intend to keep you alive so we can find out."

His words settle on me like weights until I feel like bending beneath their pressure. "I'm nobody."

"Whether you like it or not, that's not true. Not in the slightest."

"Agreed. You are the angry human. Loyal follower and distinguished side-kick of Typhon, first of his name. You have stopped me from eating several humans, despite my great hunger. You have only allowed me to eat one single arm. This, in itself, is a great feat."

"I didn't allow you to eat that arm. That was all on you."

I sense amusement through the tether, and I feel a wave of appreciation toward him. It may not have always been clear to me, but behind all his bluster and arrogance, Typhon is a little less dense than he comes off. He knows how to cheer me up, even after a disaster like the confrontation back in that empty classroom.

"Bastian?" I say.

"Yes?"

"Raith thinks there might be a siphon at Confluence. Is that possible?"

His elegant features twist. "It's quite likely. Yes. But how would he know?"