Blackfeather Woods Important meeting; do NOT miss

Cicero was not surprised by the energy behind her words. His ears folded back when she said it, because that part had been orchestrated not so much by him as by the beast. Because he had known that he had done enough to frighten Alexander by simply hurting him. And because the word struck a chord. Once, he had had a similar thing done to him. The beast had, perhaps, orchestrated that to an extent, but he would never forget the feeling of love turning into one of disgust as he realised what was going on.

Yet he had never told a soul of that day. It appeared Alexander was less tight-lipped. Cicero looked away after a lengthy pause and murmured, "What, indeed..." He left Potema to fill in the spaces. He was not going to say the word. Cicero lied about little to his sister's face, but the beast and the damage he and those who collaborated with him -- like Alexander -- was not a topic he wished to cut into.