Lyanna approached Atticus with a smile on her face.
'Even her smile looks cold.' Atticus calmly assessed.
He had heard different things about Lyanna from various sources. Most times, it was Avalon or Anastasia talking about her brutal actions.
The Ice Witch of the Ravenstein family.
She was as cold as she was beautiful.
"I can't say I'm not surprised."
Lyanna finally reached him, trying her best to hide her shock at the overwhelming aura radiating off Atticus.
'Seeing is truly believing. He really is a paragon.'
Although it had only been a few hours since she confirmed the news, it was only now that she was seeing it with her own eyes.
Atticus smiled slightly, causing the hearts of those watching to freeze. He lowered his head, paying his respects.
"Lady Lyanna. It's a pleasure to meet you once again."
Lyanna had been his father's comrade in the past. In fact, she, Sirius, and Nathan acted more like his uncles and aunt. To Atticus, she deserved that level of respect.
The smile on Lyanna's face only seemed to widen.
'He's still well-behaved,' she thought with satisfaction.
A paragon was treated like a king in Eldoralth. In fact, if not for the utter shock of Atticus' presence, everyone in the room should have been on their knees, paying their respects to him.
He had that authority.
Yet despite this, Atticus had still greeted her respectfully.
Lyanna nodded. Her usual cold smile shifted slightly, turning a bit gentler.
"Come, let's go somewhere more secure."
Atticus followed her to the door she had just walked out of, ending up in a simple office where two cushions lay facing each other on the floor.
"Have a seat."
She gestured toward one, taking her seat in the other. As Atticus sat down, Lyanna didn't waste any time.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Atticus observed Lyanna silently. After the betrayal he experienced during the trial of the Fourth Art, he had decided to start taking Ozeroth's advice very seriously.
He observed everything, including the beautiful woman in front of him.
And because of that, he could also see, 'She's observing me too.'
Lyanna's glacier-blue eyes were fixed intensely on him, and somehow, she had lost her smile.
Although Atticus held an unimaginable amount of power compared to her, Lyanna didn't seem to care. She still observed him as she would anyone else.
"You've heard about the situation?"
"The spies?" Lyanna's response came instantly, and Atticus could feel a hint of hatred seeping through her words.
"No."
Atticus' eyes flickered, and the air between them ignited, flame-like words flickering to life.
"The Vampyros sent demands," Atticus explained as Lyanna read the words silently.
It took only a second, and although she said nothing, Atticus could feel the room growing colder, frost-like mist emanating from her.
"Did those festering carcass drinkers forget how they bolted like spineless mutts? Or maybe they're too brain-dead to remember that their grand elder was wiped off the damn plane of existence?"
Lyanna clenched her fist hard, the frost intensifying.
'I like her.' Ozeroth remarked in Atticus' head.
The latter could only blink in surprise.
He knew she was cruel, but he never expected her to have such a foul mouth too.
"Ahem."
Atticus cleared his throat, causing her to reel herself in.
"What did you choose?"
'Smart,' Atticus thought inwardly.
Lyanna had been able to figure out that the choice of accepting or rejecting the demands had been up to him.
"I refused."
"Good."
Though her expression remained unreadable, a glint appeared in her glacier-blue eyes, and the temperature seemed to return to normal.
She was happy.
"I understand now. You need information about them? Consider it done."
Lyanna reached a conclusion instantly.
Atticus nodded with a smile.
"Exactly, but that's not all. The Vampyros are avoiding war with us."
Lyanna tilted her head to the side, gesturing for him to continue.
"They've been acting out of character. Think about it, are they the type of people who would send demands? Would they ever retreat? They said if we refuse the demands, we'd become their 'enemies.'"
The temperature became warmer, and Lyanna's eyes became clearer.
"I've had the same thoughts. But why do you think that is?"
Lyanna was curious to hear Atticus' conclusion.
She was in charge of intelligence gathering and knew what the Vampyros were capable of better than anyone.
She had always seen Atticus as someone cut from the same cloth as her, cold, ruthless, calculating.
And now, he was just proving her point.
"I believe there's someone behind the scenes controlling them."
Lyanna's expression broke into a smile.
'Talented beyond measure and smart. If only Joana wasn't so stupid,' she thought, recalling her aloof daughter, who hadn't seemed interested in Atticus.
Yes, she was in her late 30s and he was 17, but what was age when it came to true love?
'If I wasn't so old, I would have had him for myself.'
"I've had the same suspicions. Their queen's the one who called for the retreat. Hell, even their elders looked like they'd been slapped awake when she did. Someone's pulling the strings."
"And that someone isn't just playing around with the Vampyros. The Dimensari are using the same tricks. This isn't a coincidence, whoever is orchestrating this is tying their strings tight."
Atticus' gaze flickered.
'It makes sense.'
The Dimensari were using the same methods as the Vampyros.
If he understood what Lyanna was implying, it meant—
"It was this mysterious figure that taught them how to create these imposters?" Atticus concluded.
Lyanna's smile widened, nodding her head.
It felt good to speak with someone on the same wavelength.
"Exactly. Those freaks didn't just stumble onto this method by chance. Someone taught them how to craft these imposters."
"So we need to look into the Dimensari and Vampyros… Consider it done. I'll report everything I find the instant I find them. Anything else?" Lyanna asked.
"Yes. I also want to know everything happening in the human domain. Everything. What the people are thinking, what the tiered families are up to."
Atticus thought for a bit before adding,
"The Vampyros can't directly attack us, but they'll take action. We can expect them to inform the other races about my current power. I need to know what they're thinking too."
"Hah. Ambitious, but expected. You want everything? You'll have it. The moment someone so much as breathes your name with ill intent, I'll know about it."
Lyanna leaned back, her smile sharpening.
"Leave it to Aunty."