Malrik POV

“What demons?” I asked, my tone steady, though a part of me braced for the answer I knew would be anything but simple.

Quillan exhaled slowly, tilting his head as if weighing what to reveal. Then, with a dry chuckle, he leaned forward, forearms resting heavily on his knees.

“His parents,” he began. “Their marriage was a disaster from the start. His mother Lazara Blackwell cheated openly, never bothering to conceal it. My mother used to gossip about them often. At ...