Silas did not answer immediately.
Ren noticed.
His gaze narrowed. "You know who."
Silas's silence was answer enough.
Pax stepped forward a fraction. "Tell us."
Silas's eyes flicked to him. "You are very used to getting answers by force, aren't you?"
Pax smiled without warmth. "You are very used to making people work for them."
Silas looked mildly approving of the remark. "That is fair."
Ren cut in before the exchange could spiral. "Silas. If there is something under this institute that is connected to a living bloodline, then we need to know who hid it and why."
Silas regarded him for a long second. Then he said, "The original record names several architects. Only one was not a builder by trade."
Fang's expression changed. "A watcher."
"An archivist," Silas corrected. "A keeper of memory. My predecessor, in fact."
Pax's eyes narrowed. "And this predecessor altered the records."
Silas's face was unreadable. "He believed he was preserving stability."
