Sienna’s humor vanished. "Need not know? My relatives arrived here starving, with nothing but clothes off their backs. My brother and I were suddenly pulled into this mess that we didn’t ask for because we were not raised by Paris Rocland. My mother is raising two girls because their mother ran off and dumped them on her. I demand an answer."

The elders exchanged uneasy glances. One muttered, "It was treachery, that is all you need to know."

Another whispered, "It was not just treachery, it was forbidden."

"Silence!" A third squawked.

Sienna stared at the falcon lord, hardening her voice. "You cannot expect my taxes, my loyalty and my brother just like that. I am not a falcon beast man. I don’t care what your tribe has to offer me. You can tell the world that I am from an expelled family, I don’t care.

And you know why I don’t care? It’s because I am human.

Humans don’t care about tribes because tribes don’t care about us. My husband doesn’t care about what kind of family I am from either. If he did, he would have kicked me away the moment he discovered my roots. So, your blackmail is not going to work on me like it did on Elias."

The Falcon lord rose, wings spreading wide. "Sienna, you tread dangerous ground. The secret of your father could shatter you. If you insist, you may regret it."

Soren tugged on her shirt. "Sis, maybe we shouldn’t ask."

She shrugged his hand away and glanced at Liman. "Take my brother back for breakfast."

The tiger beast woman clamped her paw around Soren, lifting him like a princess and leaped away. Sienna turned her cold eyes back to the elder. "I have never regretted a single decision that I made in my life. Knowing what he did is not because of curiosity, its because I have to protect my mother and brother. I have to protect my children. I don’t want a secret that I don’t know to even come back and hurt my family."

The falcon lord’s gaze burned into her. "There is a reason why Corven and Byra have not told you."

Sienna stared back silently.

The falcon lord huffed and flew upwards. The elders shook their heads or looked at her with malice, before flying after their lord.

Sienna returned to the front courtyard, and settled down for breakfast. Hardly had she touched her meal when her grandfather raised his voice. "Edris was here and you didn’t think to call me! Sienna, what were you thinking going out there to meet him all by yourself?"

The old man’s angry eyes flashed to Linera. "I assigned you as her guard. Is this how you do your job?"

Linera lowered her head and eyes. "I apologize father, it was my mistake."

Sienna looked from the old man to her aunt. "My guard! Grandpa, I have more than enough fox guards. My own aunt does not need to be guarding me. What are you so afraid of anyway? Is this related to Paris’s secret?"

Grandpa Corven rose. "What did Edris tell you?"

The other falcons rose too, looking ready to start a war.

Sienna shook her head. "Nothing. I suppose Edris is the falcon lord. He was just here to ask me to publicly acknowledge my falcon roots, pay taxes to the falcon tribe and send Soren to a falcon academy."

Grandpa Corven slammed his walking cane into the ground and declared in a deep voice. "You will do no such thing."

Suddenly, his mental strength burst outward like a storm. Invisible pressure swept across the courtyard. Plates shattered, cups cracked, drinks sputtered and several people collapsed to their knees, clutching their heads. Sienna screamed, feeling as though a hand had reached inside her head and it was pulling her skull apart.

Another force swept in, sending her grandfather flying back into a net that three fox guards were holding. They wrapped it around him at an incredibly fast speed. Elias strode in, more guards behind him, weapons drawn. His cold eyes locked onto the old man.

"It’s time we talk," Elias said, voice like ice.

Sienna’s heart skipped. Elias rarely spoke so directly to her family. All of his tails were flickering, his whole body bristling with tension.

The net was lifted and grandpa Corven rose slowly, his aura faint, but still pressing down on everyone. "You have known all along, haven’t you?"

Sienna had the same question.

Elias’s lips curled faintly. "Since the visit of the Amberis lord. You have hidden your strength well. Too well. What you are is not what is officially registered. Your mental strength is equal to mine...perhaps even sharper."

Soren squeaked, "Equal?! and promptly fainted.

He was one of many that had fainted under the pressure. Even Ali and Eli were out cold. Sienna had no idea how she was still awake and lucid!

The only reason why she was not panicking was because the doctor and guards were already checking on those who had fainted. A yellow pill was slipped into their mouths.

"Will they be okay?" Sienna asked, when he got to the children.

The doctor nodded. "It was not killing intent, just an angry outburst with no specific direction. They will open their eyes in no more than a minute."

Safe in that knowledge, she turned to Elias and her grandfather. It seemed like they were about to face off.

"My Lord, should we take him forcefully?" Alex, the bear beast man asked.

Elias raised a hand. "No need. This is between me and the old man."

Grandpa Corven chuckled darkly. "Between us? Have you forgotten to include Sienna? She is looking for answers that you have but have hidden them from her. You didn’t even tell her about me."

Sienna’s eyes widened. "Right. What else are you hiding from me?"

Elias;s gaze flicked to her, then back to the old man. "Perhaps we should all head inside. If we are going to reveal all of our hidden cards then we should do it in a place where no unnecessary ears are in hiding. Some tales are not meant for children after all."

Three people walked into the cottage.

Mija came out of hiding, hissing angrily. She stomped her foot.