I glanced at Mara, who had retreated to the foot of the bed. She sat still, motionless, like she didn’t belong in her own skin anymore. I couldn’t tell if she was stunned, angry, or just… broken.
“Yes,” Darian said quietly. “I said that to protect her from Mother.”
My father blinked. “What?”
“I thought if I told you I didn’t want Mara, she’d leave her alone,” Darian said, his voice thick with tears. “I thought Mother would back off if she believed there was no threat.”
My chest tightened. I’d known Martha was manipulative, but this?
“You should have come to me,” our father snapped. “You should have been a damn grown-up and told me the truth.”
“You always do what she says,” Darian replied bitterly. “I didn’t think you’d listen. I thought… if I stayed quiet long enough, kept Mara close
