**Gaia's POV**

Jackson shifted uncomfortably under Astrein's piercing gaze.

"I... I truly don't know anything else," he admitted, his voice tight with anxiety. "Dennis is an extremely cautious man. He never reveals his true thoughts to anyone—not even his most trusted lieutenants."

I could see the fear in Jackson's eyes. Astrein's presence was overwhelming even to those of us who knew him well. To someone like Jackson—a former rogue who had only recently switched ...