We walked slowly between the shelves. She pointed out rare texts on cursed eye evolutions, ancient pacts between clans, and records of long-forgotten gates. Her questions grew more personal as we went.
"You surround yourself with powerful women," she observed, stopping beside a crystal that pulsed with faint temporal energy. "Your mother, the Warden, the maid, the succubus queen. How do you balance so many strong personalities?"
I ran my fingers lightly over the crystal, feeling its resonance. "By not trying to diminish any of them. Strength shared is strength multiplied."
Feng Lan studied me for a long moment, her Crimson Phoenix Rebirth Eyes glowing softly. "You speak as if loyalty is a choice freely given. In my experience, it is usually taken or bought."
"Then perhaps your experience has been limited," I replied calmly.
