Chapter 260: Facing His Trauma

LYN The study felt smaller than usual with all of us packed inside, the tension so thick I could practically taste it on my tongue. I'd positioned myself near the window, as far from the door as I could manage without making my discomfort obvious.    The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the expensive Persian rug, and I found myself counting the patterns in the weaving rather than meeting anyone's eyes.     Zade stood by the fireplace, his arms crossed and his expression thunderous. He hadn't wanted Lake in his house at all, had made that abundantly clear when Xenois and Lumina had first brought the unconscious boy through his doors.   The only reason he'd agreed was because Riley had looked at him with those empty, medicated eyes and said quietly that if Lake wasn't welcome, neither was he.     "This is a mistake," Zade said, not for the first time. "That boy tortured you, Lyn. Tortured you while you were helpless, while he had you strapped to a table like some kind of labor