Cinira stared at me.

I stared back.

Her mouth twitched and for a second I thought she was angry.

But then she broke out into laughter. She threw her head back and guffawed, covering her mouth as she did so.

This really wasn't one of the reactions that I had on my radar. Not at all.

I glanced over at Ashur. He shrugged. No enlightenment there.

Finally, Cinira calmed down enough that she lowered her hand and looked at me.

"Sorry. That's just so rich," she said, wiping at her eyes. "It would serve that idiot Emberich right to have his oh-so-precious throne pulled right out from under him." She sighed, shaking her head, a smile on her face. "Of course, you aren't considering this ridiculous overture. That would be beyond foolhardy."

Well, this was awkward.

When I didn't reply right away, her gaze sharpened on my face.

"Mia? You aren't considering it...correct?" she prodded, a hint of warning entering her tone at my lack of prompt answer.

I looked over at Ashur again and then back at Cinira.

"Actually...I am," I admitted quietly.

Dumbfounded was exactly the way I would describe her expression in that moment.

"That's…that's beyond ridiculous. Why would you even think to consider something so risky, so completely unnecessary?"

If I'd just heard this part, I would think the same, but context mattered in this case.

"It isn't something that I would have even thought twice about even just a few weeks ago," I returned. "I have no desire to rule or lead anyone."

"That's because you are no idiot," Cinira pointed out. "Leading is more work than it’s worth, let me tell you." She scanned my face. "Now I'm even more confused. Why aren't you refusing them straight off the bat? Directly?"

She didn't know what had been happening.

"I have to do something about Emberich," I explained. "He isn't leaving me alone. There have already been multiple attempts on my life. More than one were too close for comfort. I'm lucky to be standing, if I'm completely honest." I shook my head, anger at those previous attacks rising once again. "I don't think he intends to ever stop. And I have Omari to consider as well."

Cinira's face was grim as she heard this.

"He sent people into the city dome after you?" she clarified, her tone hard.

"Yes, he sent a team after me. And they tried multiple times to get me. All culminating in one of them strapping a bomb to himself and setting it off in my apartment." That one had been one of the closer ones. There was no coming back from being blown to bits. "So yeah—I'm pretty sure he's serious about this."

Cinira's nostrils flared, her own anger surging.

"That man is weak," she bit out. "Won't even do his own dirty work himself," she muttered to herself.

"So you understand the provocation," I interjected.

She shook her head, leaning forward, resting her hands on the desk as she met my eyes.

"I am a practical person, Mia. I am certain it is the reason why I am alive today. Now, in a perfect world, I would like to take my skein over to Emberich's gaudy palace and bring his head back on a spike so my people can throw garbage at it."

Well...okay. There was no doubt that she believed every word she just said.

"But?" I prodded, knowing that couldn't be the end of it.

She inclined her head before continuing.

"But," she continued. "I know that would be a suicide mission. Not only for myself, but for all of the people who depend upon me. Nothing would be accomplished in the end apart from more death, more destruction on our side. Do I want Emberich to pay for coming after you? Do I want him to pay for what he made of my daughter's life?" She spread her arms out. "Of course. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't fantasize about it." The veil over her eyes slipped little, and she let me see the anger and frustration living inside her, the pool of utter rage for what had happened to her daughter at Emberich's hands. Then she brought the calmness back up and over all of those dark emotions. "But I don't do anything to rock the boat. Because there is no reasonable action for me to take at this point in time. None that is worth the damage I would sustain, that we would sustain. So, that brings us to your problem now." Her gaze was level as she met my eyes with her calm ones. "You want to be safe, correct?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

That was essentially the heart of why I was considering this. Why I'd come here.

"That is an achievable goal," she said quietly. "You can stay in my territory, or you can stay in Ashur's territory. Never return to your city dome or any other. Either of us can keep you safe in our own cities, but nobody can keep you safe among the humans."

Frustration rose inside me at the list of restrictions.

She thought living like that was a better option?

"I thought you would understand," I said quietly. "I don't want to be dependent on everyone else's protection for the rest of my life. And neither you nor Ashur can guarantee my safety forever—don't say you can. And you couldn't guarantee Omari's safety either. As long as Emberich is out there, neither of us will truly be safe." I shook my head. "Not really."

Cinira's gaze was sympathetic but also resolute.

She wasn't letting my words get to her.

"I understand your frustration, my dear. I certainly do. You must understand that," she said in a pleading tone, her hands clasped together. "However, the truth of the matter is that this isn't really your decision to make." Not mine to make? She continued, shedding light on what she meant by that. "You would need the full force of all of the dragons’ skeins at your back to pull this off. Not a few of them, not half of them—all of them."

I frowned.

"How so?" I asked, not expecting this particular argument.

Cinira lowered her voice as she leaned in.

"Because if you don't, anyone with a penchant for power could simply wait for you to dethrone Emberich and then kill you directly afterwards. Allowing you to do all the dirty work and then swooping in at the end to take the throne. And that isn't even considering the fact that Emberich is many things, most of them bad. But he is not a complete imbecile. Nobody could be and hold onto power for this long." She shook her head, crossing her arms, her forefinger tapping on her arm. "No, he is not this ignorant. He would not allow a conspiracy to fester right under his nose, take root in his stronghold."

"If he wouldn't allow it, why is it happening?" I countered.

She shook her head, frowning as she continued tapping.

"He is most likely simply giving these conspirators enough rope to hang themselves with," she concluded, letting that sink in for a moment. "So he can kill them with impunity, and nobody will say a word about it. It's brilliant really—letting it grow draws out all the sympathizers. Then he kills them. Getting rid of the problem and sending a message at the same time." She smiled grimly. "It is efficient." Her smile faded, worry entering her eyes. "There will be a fight if you go down this path, Mia. I can guarantee it."

She stood up, deciding to bring the topic to a close.

"Now," she smiled at me. "Why don't you go out and enjoy my city for the rest of your stay? It really is one of a kind."