“Your…” My tongue felt too big for my suddenly dry mouth. “Your courtship?”

“Yes.” He pulled a lid off a pot and stirred the contents. “It was short but incredibly intense. I lost myself when I was with your mother. And then I lost her entirely, as I’m sure you have guessed.”

“Do you need help?” Kieran asked.

“That would be great, yes. Check the roast, if you wouldn’t mind. I assume you all eat meat? I know the young shifter certainly does. How about the contrary teen?” He looked at Daisy. “If you hate everything I have prepared, it would be my pleasure to make something that would dazzle you. Figuring out meals from a random list of ingredients is a fun pastime when I need a challenge.”

Magnus’s charm filled the kitchen like a delightful fragrance. There was no way it wasn’t built from lots of practice.

“Magnus, I wondered if I could ask…” I bit my lip, not sure what the protocol was at a dinner party. Was I allowed to talk business? Because I was going to. “Have you seen Demigod Lydia? We haven’t seen her around much.”

He hummed. A saucepan flared, fire kissing the sky in front of him. He leaned back gracefully until it died down, and continued working. “I saw her yesterday in passing, yes. She seems quite troubled, and no wonder. She has lost a great deal of status because of the events at her…homestead. Her face is a mess, as well. Plastic surgery has only helped a little. Your cat…is not a cat.”

I put up my hands. “Honestly, those cats are literally from normal cats. I have no idea what happened.”

Magnus looked back at me, his eyes calculating. “I do believe you are telling the truth, Alexis, though I can’t help feeling there is a missing piece of the puzzle. Speaking of puzzles, I hear Zander’s technical man got into a scuffle earlier today. It sounds like he was jumped. When they looked for footage, they discovered the live surveillance feed was down—something to do with a virus. Most odd. I guess no one will ever know what happened.”

“I wasn’t aware cameras had been incorporated into the grounds this year,” Kieran said smoothly. “Huh.”

I could just see Magnus’s ear lift, indicating he was hiding a smile. I had a feeling it lacked any humor. “Didn’t you? Hmm. In any case, the man will live, I hear, but he’s slow to heal despite the blood bond. He’ll be out of commission for a while. Zander is most grieved by this, of course—the injured party is the only person on his team with any knowledge of the web and websites and things like that.”

Healing took energy. If someone was siphoning energy from the man, he would indeed be down for the count for a while.

Was this Magnus hinting that he was helping me?

I dropped into a light trance, looking for a little violet string connecting Magnus to the ailing man. The Line pulsed, feeding me with power, but I didn’t find what I was looking for. He was clear.

“Spirit isn’t the only way to keep a man down, Alexis,” Magnus said softly. “Given you suspect me, though, it seems you don’t know the answer. Interesting. Also, my dear, you must look for spirit connections without drawing notice. You have enough power to exert your magic without calling additional power from the Line. You mustn’t always reach for it. Doing so in the presence of those who can feel or see it might come back at you in unpleasant ways. You need to be better at holding your cards to your chest. I can help you, if you like.”

“The roast is ready to rest.” Kieran pulled it from the oven.

“Fantastic. I’m almost ready.” Magnus’s hands moved quickly and expertly as he finished up the sauce and plated the potatoes.

“Why would you suddenly want to help her, when not so long ago you wanted to kidnap her?” Daisy asked, and I didn’t call her down. I was wondering myself.

“Yes, the kidnapping. I admit, that was shortsighted.” Magnus gave me a look, as if expecting reproach. “I saw an opportunity and rushed to take it before Aaron did. I wanted to control a situation that could not be controlled. I should have known better. But in answer to your question, I have always wanted to help her. Given the situation, however, it was impossible. I have a history with children, as I’m sure you’ve heard.” Magnus carved the roast and added portions to each of the dishes. “Let’s sit down to dinner, and I can give you a small history lesson, Alexis, if you’d like.”

After everyone took a plate, Magnus led a toast to good health, and we all tasted the food. It was delicious, and I said so, which was when Magnus casually dropped his bomb.

“I loved your mother, Alexis. I loved her like I’ve only loved one other. Unlike the other, my love for her was just budding. It was new, without roots. It was fast and furious, and before either of us knew it, she was pregnant.” He took a moment to chew and then sipped his wine. “I have a reputation, as I’ve said. A reputation I believe in. I’ve known horrors you couldn’t imagine at the hands of my own children. It was a lesson I learned soundly.”

“So then…why am I alive?” I asked through a constricted throat. My mind was whirling. He’d known about me the whole time? I could scarcely believe it. It didn’t make sense.

Magnus looked across the flickering candlelight at me, the lights in the chandelier above us low and intimate. The setting was homey despite the obvious wealth surrounding us. He looked lost for a moment.