Elias was quiet for a long moment, the word "rot" hanging between them like a scent, sharp, with an acrid aftertaste. He could feel Victor's pulse beneath his palm, slow and steady, the kind of calm that only came from someone who'd seen this cycle too many times before.
"Victor," he said finally, his voice lower, rougher. "You said Uno's fascinated… but you also said he tempts. If he really finds something that defies the laws he helped create, would he… would he come after it?" He touched his flat belly with something he could call only instinct.
Victor didn't answer immediately. His thumb stilled on Elias's wrist. "You mean would he come after our child?"
Elias swallowed. "Yes."
The thunder outside rumbled closer, rolling through the glass like a heartbeat. Victor's eyes gleamed red in the flicker of light. "Yes," he said softly, "he would."
