Don't meddle in my stuff.' That was what the bird was trying to say. "Not another sound." Corvin saw Coalball still puffed up, glaring like a tiny storm. He gave the bird a quick tap on the head. "Huntress, you need rest. I'll handle this brat." As Corvin carried Coalball out, Emma turned fast toward Silas. "Are you alright? Did he peck you?" Silas chuckled and shook his head. "I'm fine. He was just putting on a show." He steadied her by the arm and led her into the rest cabin. Seeing that he was really okay, Emma's shoulders eased.She sat on the couch, her eyes fixed on him. Her mind ran back to how strange Coalball had acted. "Silas, what were you trying to say earlier? Who were you about to introduce?" Silas blinked, his expression almost too innocent. "I was going to tell you, but you saw it. He stopped me." "Who did? Coalball?" Silas didn't answer. He only smiled, calm and secretive. "Emma, don't push me. I gave my word. I can't break it." That was all she needed to know. It was Coalball. "What's the deal with him? What's he to you? Isn't he just a bird?"Emma leaned forward, firing off one question after another. When she had first picked up Coalball, she'd checked him herself. There hadn't been even a flicker of power. She had still felt uneasy, so she'd asked Edric and Damian to take another look. They confirmed it too. Just a regular bird. Smart, maybe too smart, but harmless. They'd said that in the galaxy, plenty of birds could understand speech. Some could even talk. So she never suspected him. Silas grinned. "You're too clever for your own good, Emma. One little clue, and you already know he's not normal. Since you figured that out, I bet you already know who he really is." Emma's eyes went wide. She'd had a gut feeling ever since she realized Coalball was a therian. "It's Lucien, isn't it?" Silas raised both hands. "Hey, I didn't say anything. Not a word." He had promised Lucien to keep his mouth shut. Emma guessed it herself. That wasn't on him. "I can't wrap my head around it," she muttered, her voice faint with shock. The thought that Lucien himself was that small black bird felt unreal. "It's not on you," Silas said quietly. "You and Edric never saw him as a kid. The way he looks now, no one but his blood would recognize him."If I hadn't turned out like this too, I'd never have known either." "When we found him, he didn't have a single trace of energy," Emma said softly. "We all thought he was just a bird." "He was drained dry," Silas replied. "And he hid his identity on purpose. You had no way of finding out." He pulled a thin blanket from the armrest and placed it gently over her legs. "Enough about that," he said in a low voice. "Stay here with me, Emma. I need a break." He shifted into a vine that curled snugly around Emma's wrist. Emma knew his strength hadn't returned yet. She didn't speak. She just stayed beside him quietly. Sleep refused to come.Her eyes were closed, but her mind wouldn't stop running. Coalball's secret weighed on her like a stone. It hadn't been without clues. She hadn't known Coalball was Lucien at first, but she should've figured it out the day Phoenix appeared. Then came that night on the starrail, when Lucien said he'd always been right beside her. And the way Aria looked at Coalball—that alone should've told her everything. How had she missed it? Maybe it was because Corvin and Edric had treated her so well lately that she'd dropped her guard. She'd gone soft without even realizing it. Then a thought hit her hard. Aria! Her eyes flew open. That woman must've recognized Coalball. The way she acted proved it. And Coalball had clearly known her too. That little liar. He'd kept the truth from her the whole time. But why? Was it because he looked like this now? Was he afraid she'd find him hideous? When the warship touched down in the manor Silas had bought for her, the vine on her wrist stirred faintly. A moment later, Silas appeared before her. "Emma, we've arrived," he said softly. "Let me help you." He slipped an arm around her waist, steadying her as she stood. Emma had already seen the manor on the ship's screen. It stretched for miles, every inch gleaming like something out of a dream. A marble archway stood tall, inlaid with glowing energy stones that shimmered like starlight. The dome of the main building glinted with glass tiles that caught the sunset and broke it into dazzling colors, like the feathers of a peacock. Rows of crystal windows reflected the gentle ripples of a man-made lake in the distance. Servant androids in neat uniforms descended the rose-patterned steps of white marble. Heavily armored robots moved in steady patrols across the grounds. An advanced defense field shimmered around the entire estate like a glass veil. "Emma, do you like it?" Silas asked with a smile as he guided her down. "I didn't know what kind of male therians you preferred, so I didn't choose any. I only had a set of battle droids stationed here for protection."