Rosie’s P.O.V
They think i’m cruel. Maybe i am.
But cruelty, i’ve learned, is often born from love twisted too long in the dark.
Dan doesn't see it yet. Or maybe he does, and he's pretending not to. He’s always been good at that, the polite silence, the careful words, the way he navigates tension like someone raised to avoid landmines instead of clear paths. But eventually, he’ll have to face the truth. They all will.
I never planned to use him. Not at first.
But when his mother showed up screaming in the courtyard, dragging her fury behind her like it was stitched into her skin, i knew the moment had come. The Elders weren’t watching. Raven and Joan were somewhere safe, for now. And Kai… well, Kai was probably watching from a shadow, noting every shift in my voice, every choice i mad
