A cold dread began to coil in Morwenna's stomach. "Then what do you want?"
Rex's smile was slow, cruel, and utterly devoid of warmth. "I want what is owed to me for the chaos I've unleashed."
"I want total dominion... Not over your ledgers, but over your bloodline."
"Over the very essence of what makes a Nightwing."
Morwenna's breath hitched. "I told you, I'll do anything—"
"I know you will." Rex interrupted, his gaze raking over her with a clinical, possessive hunger that made her skin crawl. "But 'anything' is a dangerous promise to make to a man like me."
"Because I don't want your authority, Morwenna."
"I want your submission... I want the old Nightwing matriarch to serve as the foundation upon which I build my new order."
"I want your body as collateral for the stability you so desperately crave."
The color drained from Morwenna's face. She recoiled as if he had struck her, her hands flying to her throat.
"You... you're insane... That's... that's sacrilege!"
"That's—"
