Chapter 45. Happy Birthday, Cinnia

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Mya asked while taking a careful step back. Cinnia's eyes flicked from Denzel's serious demeanor to Mya's skeptical one. Her eyebrows shot up, almost disappearing into her hairline as her mouth formed an 'Oh.' "Uh... I think he means that you..." Cinnia coughed into her palm. "Don't tell me... Brother! That's a risk," Maverick said in protest. Mya scratched the back of her neck, still lost in confusion. Everyone else knew what was going on except her. "Can someone just make a full sentence? This suspense is not necessary!" Mya threw her hands up in exasperation. Denzel took a step closer to her and squeezed her shoulder. "I will never force you to do something you don't consent to. If you're not comfortable with this arrangement, then I can always think of something else."

"Tell me."

Denzel gripped her chin with his thumb and index finger. "You'll have to become Cinnia." He paused to let that sink in before he went on. "I thought about thi