A strange calm settled over Numair at this, and his eyes flicked up to Hawk. "...What?"

"I said," Hawk repeated, sidestepping Vlad, who was now fruitlessly trying to get between them and deescalate, "How long did you know where my sister was?? Pretty fuckin' convenient, we finish yer little project an' all the sudden you find her! What, is that my reward for helpin' you with whatever power play you--"

"Jesus, Hawk, it wasn't--" Vlad tried to interject, but now Numair stepped around him too.

"...You actually believe that," he said incredulously. "Just like that?"

Hawk loomed over him, and so did the pale heads which now curled round to glare down at him, but it didn't stop Numair from drawing himself up to his full height, hands on his chest, half pleading, half affronted.

"I should have told you, and I am sorry," he snapped. "But I am not cruel, Hawk. Keeping Liliya from you on purpose just to serve my own ends? Have I not shown you who I am--"

"What," Hawk interrupted, "that's playin' too dirty for you??"

This seemed to take the wind fully out of Numair's sails, and he stood there dumbfounded as Hawk turned away again, muttering, "Just fuckin' spare me."