“I don’t know where she is.” That much was true. After he’d lost his temper on her, Talya had fled like a frightened kitten, white-eyed and nervous. She’d likely spent the night sulking, and his heart pinched somewhere in his chest to think of his daughter crying because he’d lost his temper, but he had bigger problems to worry about. Like Aurora and whether she’d spill the truth before he could get to her. Maybe he didn’t have to kill her to keep her quiet… maybe he could just… threaten her? No… he couldn’t risk leaving a loose end. Talya would never tell on him, but he didn’t know if Aurora would eventually crack and reveal what he’d done.

He opened his mouth to say something – maybe make up some lie at how Aurora was likely off comforting the girl somewhere deep in the Forest – and then the bushes rustled enough to show sign of a horse walking through them. His ears twitched and he looked, expecting to see one of the two mares they’d been discussing, but saw someone else entirely.

If a horse could lose all the blood in their face, Psychedelic would be as pale as a sheet. His eyes were wide, brain on momentary pause, soaking in the sight of Evaline come for retribution. He should have known… he should have known the day Talya came and told him she’d come and he’d smelled her… he should have been smart, plucked Talya up in the night and fled somewhere else. Anywhere else. But he was a fucking idiot and he’d stayed.

His heart felt as if it was pounding in his chest so hard, it’d burst through. His mouth opened as if he was going to say something and then closed.

We’re fucked.

Psychedelic’s ears flicked back when Talya’s name came from Evaline’s mouth, but before he could process those emotions, the spotlight was swung back on him.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

“Tell her what you crazy old loon?” Psychedelic tried for an exasperated laugh and roll of his eyes, but it was a little too tense – a little too disconnected. The cracks amongst his mind trembled and widened, breaking his sense further. “You – you…”

Instead of voices in his head, a cacophony of emotions became senseless babble screeching in his ears. His heartbeat was increasing, fast. His breaths were coming in shorter gasps. His eyes rolled back, revealing white. He couldn’t grab hold of sense – there was none for him to reach.

“You have real fucking great timing, don’t you?!” He finally spat, his voice ugly and poisoned with crazed aggression. “Did you plan all of this? You crazy cunt. I bet you did. Got our daughter knocked up just to further your hatred of me, didn’t you? Did you abandon her before she could fend for herself? Is that why she found me?” He was sweating – it dampened his neck, frothed in his armpits. His head was raised. His hoof stomped the worrisome trench he’d already dug into the Forest floor. He forgot sense – he forgot Persephone was there. “Why hasn’t Kasabian done us all a favor and just killed you already? That was supposed to be the plan!” He spat, ears pinned and eyes flashing.