“I want to know how he died.”

It might be a mistake to hear the story out of order, but this is something I can’t ignore for even a moment longer. Perhaps it’s because he died during a summoning, the least likely way I expected my father to go. It makes his death unbelievable. Hard to grasp. “You know where I want you to start.”

“…Luke Tome was in charge of designing the summoning circle. It functioned perfectly, bringing the desired drakkon forth. However, the lurker emerged, hijacking the open door to this realm. It took one second to fully emerge, one more second to unleash a barrage of attacks that decimated the surroundings and was ripped from the realm half a second later.”

I stare at her with wide eyes. A second and a half. That was all the time this lurker had but it was enough to kill my father. That is a staggering amount of speed and strength. Especially considering that Father would have been on-guard, as he always is during a summoning. But as my awe fades, questions rise.

“Was my father the contractor?” I ask with a voice full of doubt. A drakkon is a powerful and dangerous elemental. In other words, my father would want nothing to do with it. I doubt he even had the coefficient to do so.

“No. One of the independent summoners offered to hold the contract.”

“So, they were there?”

“Yes.”

“The entire cabal?”

“Yes.”

There is no hesitation in her tone but there is something. I’m not sure which of my improved senses alert me to her unease. Saints, it might not be any of them and my imagination. Geneva is far too skillful to give away hints like that unless she wants to. Either way, I’m entirely convinced. Probably because there is a detail in the story that she should be worried about.

“Junior was a part of that group. He was at that summoning.”

“Ye—"

“THEN WHY IS THAT RED-HEADED FUCK ALIVE WHEN MY FATHER IS DEAD?!” I roar as I jump to my feet, the sound causing the thinnest branches of the nearby trees to shake. Geneva is unfazed, which only adds fuel to my mounting anger.

“There is a split-second tell that a lurker is about to emerge. When Fendelheim recognized it, she shouted for the others to drop to the ground, hoping to lessen the chances of being struck by the creature’s aimless assault. She used a mental compulsion on her contractor, which he obeyed without hesitation. The others reacted too slowly or not at all. There was nothing she could do.”

Nothing she could do? Nothing she could do? “Don’t tell me there was nothing you could do. You knew about lurkers. You could have made preparations to protect my father. You could have dragged him from the room. If his being alive was important to your plans, you would have turned the world inside out to ensure he survived!

“You weren’t prepared because you didn’t care. After I specifically told you to look after my family. I give you so much freedom on the condition that you safeguard my interests. Something you have completely failed at!”

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By this point, I’m practically seething. It’s not her fault, I know it’s not, she wasn’t even there and succubi aren’t omniscient, but my temper isn’t trying to hear reason. And my words are true. If she had considered my father a priority, she would have made sure he lived, even if the whole planet with up in flames, as I’m sure she would do for me.

“You are correct, my summoner. We looked after your family’s interests, but they weren’t considered a priority. Because you do not consider them a priority.”

My face is tight with tension as I glare at her. “Are you blaming me?”

“There is no blame. Your father died to a lurker. Not even the strongest creatures I know of can defend against them. They are merely an inherent danger of the art. But you are correct that if I was ordered to preserve your father’s life, no matter what, I would never have allowed him to conduct the summoning or any other. You know better than most, an elemental is only as effective as the summoner using them.”

My hand shoots out, grabbing her by throat. She stares directly into my eyes, not reacting even as I squeeze, impassive as a wall a stone. “Do you think I don’t know what you’re doing? Shifting the blame to me so you can avoid the consequences?”

[Is it wrong that I don’t want to take the blame for a fault that is not my own?] she speaks into my mind, voice likely hindered by my grip. [Yes, my words are meant to change your mind, but you wouldn’t feel them so keenly if they weren’t true.]

“I cared. I told you to look after him.”

[How many orders have you given me to protect yourself? How many orders have you given me in regards to your wife? Your lovers? Now, how many have you given in regards to your father? One. You’ve done more to safeguard the kingdom at large against my influence than to protect your own blood—]

“Shut up!” I snap. The voice in my mind ceases and I throw her away from me. “Go. Away.”

Geneva leaves without a word as I continue to fume. The audacity of that succubus. She didn’t even try to be subtle as she mercilessly yanked on my emotions, twisting things to support her own view. Yes, I didn’t extensively lay out a set of orders to protect my father from his own shadow. He shouldn’t have needed it. Wouldn’t have, if he’d been his usual cautious self and avoided these independent summoners all together.

More importantly, he wouldn’t have appreciated me intervening in his life to such a degree. If protecting him at all costs meant stopping him from ever summoning another elemental, he would have told me to shove my protection somewhere unpleasant.

I know this, but feelings aren’t logical. Despite my anger at Geneva, my heart can’t help wondering if I didn’t do enough. If my father was dead because of my negligence. It wasn’t my responsibility to rescue Father from himself, but I could have.

The moment I received the letter from Uncle Jackal where he talked about possibly scheming against the crown, I could have ridden to Summer Spire to ensure Father didn’t get involved. Or I could have had Fen discourage him. Had him kidnapped and brought to Quest.

I could have acted…but I didn’t. And the worst part is, I would have if either of my lovers were involved. I would have taken drastic action if I thought there was even the slightest chance they could be exposed to fatal circumstances, like antagonizing the crown. Geneva is right. Her words anger me so much because they’re true. I…I didn’t care enough. I could have done more. The actions, or inactions, of the succubi ultimately rest on the shoulders of me, the summoner.

I failed him.

As he failed me. Truly, I’m my father’s daughter.

But I’ll be damned to the Abyss if I let Geneva off so easily. Grief and guilt may gnaw at me, but I won’t forgive her own failings. I entrusted her with his safety. Yes, I could have been more attentive, but I didn’t think I needed to. That is the trade-off for allowing her to scheme and seize power for herself. She uses that power to protect me, to provide insight to see what I miss, to succeed where I fail.

Perhaps if she had admitted she was wrong, that she had failed, that she had been bested by an opponent she couldn’t possibly beat, I would forgive her, but she dares try to put this on me?

I knew this day would come. When she would push me too far with her schemes. Force me to do something…distasteful.

It’s time to remind her who the summoner is.