Trafalgar rested his forearm against the table.
"I'm telling you this now because it probably will not be the last time I do something similar. If I can gain power through arrangements like that, I will. If I cannot bring people to my side willingly, I may have to do it another way."
Cynthia looked at him with visible difficulty. "Why go that far? It is so much work, and the sacrifices are enormous."
Trafalgar's expression shifted slightly.
For once, his answer did not come with a dry remark first.
"Because I want the power to protect what I care about," he said. His gaze moved over the three of them. "In this case, you. All of you. It sounds sentimental, and I suppose it is. I also have things I need to discover. Things connected to the Void Creatures, to the Primordials, to myself. But the simplest answer is that I do not want to be helpless when the world decides to bare its teeth."
Mayla's hold on Cynthia tightened for a breath.
