"You could use them as a chrysalis," Magdalyna said from where she lay, horror and understanding combined in her voice.
"Grow power inside them that you couldn't grow yourself. And then claim it when they've reached sufficient strength."
"Exactly," Suyajna confirmed.
"I seduced Jaenor's father. Conceived a child with him. And from the moment Jaenor was born, I began preparing him for his purpose."
She looked up at her son, still suspended and convulsing, and her expression was complicated, genuine love mixed with ruthless purpose.
"I loved him. Truly. He was my son, and I cared for him the way any mother would. But I also needed him. His power, his potential, his ability to achieve what I couldn't achieve directly. So I shaped his life carefully. Ensured he faced challenges that would force him to grow. Protected him from detection until he was strong enough to matter."
"The attacks," Rena whispered.
"Some were real," Suyajna admitted.
