Kody P O V
The lake rippled again.
I didn’t call him this time. I didn’t need to.
He knew I was ready to hear the truth—and I think he was ready to hurt me with it.
Endy’s reflection appeared more grounded this time. Sharper in the light. No illusions. No charm.
Just a man.
A broken one.
“Are you ready to learn why your mother never spoke of me?” he asked, voice low.
“I’m ready to know why she flinches every time I raise my voice,” I said.
His mouth twitched. “Then you’re not as blind as I feared.”
He took a step forward—his image still only water, but his presence felt heavier than stone.
“I taught her,” Endy said. “What it meant to serve power. To serve a man.”
I said nothing. I needed him to finish. I needed to hear the rot in his voice.
“When we were young, I believed powe
