Dad opened his mouth to say something and closed it again. Anything he could say about it would sound clichéd. It’ll all make sense some day. It’s not our place to question. Ugh! My heart did not want to accept those answers.

When Dad opened his mouth again it was to completely change the subject. “You’re going to have to move, Anna. I can’t have you in Atlanta anymore.”

My heart sunk at the thought of leaving the only home I’d ever known, and my friends, but I nodded. It would be a relief to be farther away from Pharzuph.

“I’ll still be a nomad, but at the summit I was told to concentrate on the Washington, DC, area now. That’s most likely where I’ll move you.”

“And Patti?” I asked.

Dad scrubbed his face with his dry palms. “I don’t know, baby. I hate to say it, but she might be a liability for you. They could use her against you if they figure out how close you are.”

My eyes filled with moisture. I wanted to be strong, but Patti was my home. I couldn’t imagine life without her.

“You’ll have a bit more time with her while I get all the details worked out.” He patted my knee. His voice got thicker and gruffer when he was emotional. “Everything I’ve done has been to protect you, Anna. I need you to know that. Sending the whisperers to haunt you that night, this thing with the two boys, making you move, all of it. I hate to see you upset, but it’s all been for the best.”

“What thing with the two boys?”

Dad stared at me. “I . . .” He glanced at Kaidan, who was glaring purposefully at the carpet and cracking his knuckles. Dad looked back at me and I felt ill at the sight of regret in his eyes. “I thought he’d tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“Listen,” Dad said, holding up his palms. “Calm down, okay? The son of Alocer is the only Neph not being watched. I thought maybe the two of you would end up together. And you’d be happy and safe. . . .”

His voice tapered off and he watched me, waiting for my reaction.

“Did you tell this to Kope?” I whispered as the picture crashed down in my mind, an ugly puzzle coming together.

Dad shook his head. “No.”

“But you told this to Kai when you commanded him to stay away from me, didn’t you?” I held Dad’s eyes, mortified.

“Yes. I told the son of Pharzuph—”

“Kaidan,” I cut in. “His name is Kaidan.”

“I told Kaidan. At the time he agreed it was best for you.”

I tried to imagine Dad telling Kaidan that I’d be better off with Kopano. My heart was in my throat when I whispered, “What was he supposed to say? You’re a freaking Duke!”

“No, Anna,” Kaidan said quietly.

Dad and I lifted our eyes to him. “I did agree with him at the time.”

“Yeah, and you were both wrong,” I said before turning on Dad again. “Please tell me you realize how wrong it was!”

Dad held up his hands in defense. “Wrong to hope you’d fall in love with a good guy? I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I was just setting up circumstances that could help you out and make two people happy at the same time. If this kid wasn’t in the picture, it might have worked.” He hitched a thumb at Kaidan and my cheeks burned.

“But he was in the picture, Daddy. And still is. That’s why it was wrong! All three of us ended up hurting.”

I stood up straight and swallowed hard while Dad rubbed his head, staring down at the floor.

We were nothing but puppets to the other Dukes, but I couldn’t stand to think of Dad treating us that way, no matter how “good” his intentions were.

“Dad,” I began, “please be honest with me from now on. No more secrets or schemes.”

“All right,” he said.

“I mean it. And I understand that I have to be safe and careful about my relationships, but you can’t cut me off completely from the people I love.”

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m no good at this fathering thing. I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I thought what the two of you had was maybe just a passing thing. When I figured out it wasn’t going to work with you and Kope, I bought you a ticket to come here. I don’t know what else I can do to make it right. I know you’re mad, but you’re alive, and I’ll keep you safe at all costs.”

I slumped on the couch, keeping distance between Dad and me.

Kaidan finally looked at me, but his expression was guarded. His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets. I tried to apologize with my eyes. I was more hurt for him than myself. I couldn’t believe he’d been forced to go through that. And he let it happen. He could have called me and told me Dad’s stupid hopes or let it slip to Marna. But he didn’t. Because he’d thought Dad was right.

I swallowed hard, blinking back more hot moisture from my eyes. With a hesitant motion Dad reached for my hand. I let him take it, feeling his thumb rasp over my knuckles. I knew he loved me, but his methods were killing me.

“Things are gonna change now. I won’t try to keep you two from communicating, but I will tell you this.” He looked back and forth between Kaidan and me. “You will only speak to each other and see each other when I tell you it’s safe. That is my one stipulation, and it must be met. We are in more danger now than ever before. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” we both said.

All that mattered was that at some point Kaidan and I would be able to talk and see each other. Maybe not often, but it was something. All we had to do in the meantime was survive.