Brigid’s smirk widened the moment her grandmother stepped into the hall. She didn’t even bother with greetings—her eyes slid past Analisa to Cassian, then back again, gleaming with mischief."So," Brigid said, her voice dripping with amusement, "how was last night?"

Cassian froze where he stood, keeping his expression carefully blank. Analisa didn’t even flinch. Her violet eyes narrowed slightly as she regarded her granddaughter."Direct as always. Do you want details?"

Brigid leaned back, lips curling into a taunting grin. "Depends. Was it worth hearing, or did he just flop around like a half-dead fish?"

Analisa’s lips twitched, the faintest hint of amusement breaking through. "He managed. Stubborn as a mule, though. I thought he’d break in half, but he didn’t."

Cassian’s jaw clenched, but he kept his silence.

Brigid chuckled, tapping a finger on the armrest. "So he actually lasted? Huh. Didn’t expect that. Must’ve been funny seeing him try to keep up."

"Funny isn’t the word," Analisa replied smoothly. "Satisfying, maybe. Unexpected, definitely." She let the silence linger for a moment before casually adding, as if discussing supper, "So I’ll be taking him again tonight."

Brigid blinked once, then let out a short laugh. "Oh? Straight to seconds? That’s not like you." Her eyes glittered with curiosity. "Why?"

Analisa tilted her head, smirk sharp as a knife. "Because he’s not begging... and I want to see how long that pride of his lasts."

Brigid arched a brow, studying her grandmother with interest. "So that’s it—you just want to break him?"

"Not just break," Analisa said smoothly, her tone like silk hiding steel. "I want to see him crack."

Brigid’s eyes flicked to Cassian. He still stood there, composed, though his smirk looked just a little too forced. ’So he wasn’t just being arrogant,’ she thought, amusement sparking. ’Interesting...’

Her own lips curved slyly as she leaned forward. "Unfortunately, I can’t just hand him back to you." She savored the sight of Analisa’s smirk faltering. "At least not before I enjoy him thoroughly... before you completely break him."

Analisa’s expression cooled into something sharper. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"I’m saying," Brigid replied smoothly, her eyes glinting with mischief, "let me have my fun with him for a few days. After that, you can keep him all to yourself."

Cassian allowed himself the briefest smirk behind her, but it faded the instant Brigid added, almost sing-song, "Don’t worry—you can still have me in between... whenever I’m too tired of playing with him."

Analisa’s jaw tightened, frustration flashing in her violet eyes. She wanted nothing more than to drag Cassian away right then, but not in front of her granddaughter. The last thing she desired was letting Brigid see how much a lowly Circle Warrior had managed to stir her.

Reluctantly, she inclined her head. "Fine. But I’ll only be here for about a week. Make sure you enjoy yourself fully in that time." Her tone sharpened, businesslike. "And tell me—are your current accommodations sufficient? Or would you prefer to stay here? This house has plenty of empty rooms—the village head seems to keep half his family under this roof."

Brigid’s lips quirked with amusement at the offer, but she gave a simple nod. "We’ll be sleeping here tonight, then." Rising gracefully from her seat, she smoothed her dress and added, "Now, Grandma, you must have other matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave—I need to prepare for my next assignment."

"Oh? You already received it?" Analisa’s brows lifted in surprise. "Strange—I haven’t heard a word about it."

Brigid shrugged lightly, her gaze flicking toward Cassian before returning to her grandmother. "Some new information came in late last night, while you were... occupied. I told the Shadow Templar not to trouble you since it wasn’t urgent. Still, you should probably have him give you a proper briefing."

"Fine, do as you like," Analisa muttered, already gesturing for the Shadow Templar to enter.

******

"Why the hell did you tell her she could have me ’in between’?" Cassian muttered as they walked down the village road. The place bristled with preparations for war—hidden posts tucked behind fences, lookout towers rising from rooftops, mages and archers stationed high above, their eyes scanning the horizon with grim focus.

Brigid only shrugged, unbothered. "I don’t know. It just slipped out. Don’t overthink it." She shot him a sidelong glance, mischief glinting in her eyes. "But seriously—why are you acting so scared? She didn’t do anything too weird, did she? Like..." Her grin widened. "I don’t know, turning the tables and penetrating you instead?"

Cassian stiffened, his face darkening. "Get your mind out of the gutter, you filthy woman. Gods, I can’t even imagine that."

Brigid burst out laughing. "Alright, alright, I’ll stop. But still... why so afraid of being alone with her?"

Cassian sighed. Analisa had warned him not to speak of what happened, but he needed Brigid’s help to keep her grandmother under control. He chose his words carefully."The night was... good. We fucked till morning. But I pushed her too far—she tortured me. Even though I can’t feel pain, it only made her angrier. If you hadn’t dragged me here, I’d still be there, getting a different kind of ’education’ every hour." His voice dropped at the end, unease slipping through.

Brigid only smiled, unrepentant. "Good. You deserved it. I’d have done the same—hell, I’d do it again right now if not for the slave-magic." Her tone was teasing, but the edge in it was real.

Cassian smirked faintly and bumped her shoulder. "So—about that fun you mentioned earlier?"

Brigid rolled her eyes. "Fuck off. I only said that because you asked me to make an excuse." She shoved him aside, her tone snapping sharp. "Now go bury your head in someone else’s ass and leave me to my research. I’ve got magic to study before my next assignment."

"Harsh," Cassian muttered.

"And don’t forget," Brigid added, fixing him with a pointed look, "you still have that secret mission—finding the traitor, remember? So stop wasting time."

"Shit—I actually forgot about that," Cassian admitted, running a hand through his hair.

Brigid groaned, exasperated. "Unbelievable. How about you start simple—ask around, but don’t make it too obvious. Get close to a few Circle Warriors, maybe have a spar or two. And if anyone questions who you are, just show them this."

She handed him a small metal pin shaped like a star. A morningstar weapon was engraved in the center, shimmering with shifting shades of red.