Flashback ( PDFDrive )

“Are you sure? From what I hear, you dragged both Tam and Linh
into the Black Swan after you saw how powerful they were at Exillium
—and kudos to you for having such a sharp eye for talent. But tell me
this, Tam, were you eager to swear fealty to the order after Sophie
brought you to them? Or did you have reservations?”
Tam didn’t answer, but his silence said enough.
“You hesitated, didn’t you?” Lady Gisela pressed. “Because you
could see that something didn’t add up. And I’d wager the only real
reason you came around was to keep Linh happy. How is this, if you
really think about it, all that different from that?”
Keefe snorted a laugh. “Are you serious right now? You’re
threatening Linh’s life and claiming it’s the same thing as Linh
getting over her trust issues faster? See what she does, Tam? See how
she plays with your head?”
“There’s no game this time,” his mom insisted. “I’m simply right. If
you hear us out, I guarantee you’ll realize that we are the only ones
with an actual solution to the problems in this world, and that you’ve
been wasting your talent serving the wrong side. I can show you more
proof than you can possibly imagine. But right now, I don’t have that
kind of time—and neither do you.” She pointed to the sky, which was
slowly brightening with the coming dawn, then back to Silveny and
Greyfell. “Look how the poison is spreading.”
Sophie choked back a gag when she saw the intricate web of black
veins covering both unconscious alicorns.
“They need this,” Lady Gisela pressed, holding up the vials of
antidote again. “And you can give it to them with a simple yes.”
“Please tell me you’re not actually considering this,” Keefe begged
when Tam tugged on his bangs.