He did not say phoenix.
He did not need to.
The room felt different now.
Because Osiris was no fool when it came to this.
He might act stupid in many ordinary matters, and he might say outrageous things without thinking, but when it came to his people, the blood inside him always knew before his mind did. Even though he remembered very little clearly, he still understood enough to feel that this man knew something.
So he asked the question that truly mattered.
"And those fire beasts," Osiris said slowly, his eyes fixed on the messenger, "are they all alive?"
Everybody in the room listened.
Isabella listened.
Kian listened.
Cyrus's body stilled completely beneath her.
Zyran's eyes narrowed.
The messenger smiled.
Then he lied.
"It was a long time ago," he said. "By now they are probably all dead anyway."
The moment those words left his mouth, the air in the room changed.
Osiris went still.
Completely still.
