His mouth curved faintly, a joyless, bitter tilt. “You swore truth before this court. And yet, even now, your pulse betrays you. You are a terrible liar, Kaelia.”
Dame Seraphina’s voice cut in before I could utter another word. “The Lunthra has been verified. It is lawful!”
Talon rose, the scrape of his chair against marble ringing too loud in the vaulted chamber.
Lord Evander’s hand tightened around the edge of the marble, but no one moved to stop him.
He circled the table slowly. Each step carried the weight of a man who did not often lose.
The scent of smoke and ozone reached me before he did, his rigid form stopping a breath away.
Every instinct I possessed urged me to step into the circle of his arms, to bury my face in his chest and let the world outside this room disappear.
“You would trade this,” he murmured, voice pitched low for me alone, “for safety.”
Not by choice, I thought desperately.But for your life, I would.
“I would trade it for survival,” I replied, forcing the words past the ache in my chest. “I would trade it for your safety.”
“I do not need your protection,” he whispered, eyes blazing.
Hurt filled me but I shoved it down and took a step closer until we were toe to toe. “Then I do not need yours either.”
Talon nodded slowly, the light in his eyes dimming into something cold and distant. He took a step back.
“Very well.”
The absence of his heat felt wrong. Like stepping away from a fire midwinter and pretending not to notice the cold.
“Keep your lawful bond,” he continued, returning to his seat with measured grace. “May it give you everything you believe I cannot.”
“Talon—”
“You are dismissed,” he said without meeting my eyes.
My feet moved before I could think, but a firm hand caught my arm. Keeper Sora’s bony fingers pressed into my skin with bruising force.
“Go,” she murmured under her breath. “You have secured your future. Do not undo it now.”
I let her guide me toward the doors, but at the threshold, I tore my arm free and glanced back.
Talon had not moved. His eyes held mine—bright and unblinking, carved from winter.
The oak doors closed behind me with a muffled thud, blocking him from my view.
15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Do you have all your belongings?”
The faint light filtering through the stained glass of the foyer seemed duller than usual, the vibrant magics of the afternoon drained away into a murky gray.
I nodded, clutching the worn leather satchel to my chest so tightly that the strap dug into my shoulder.
Sora turned away from me, her dark robes snapping as she addressed a guard.
“Escort Miss Kaelia home, promptly and safely,” she ordered. “Use the side thoroughfares. Ensure there are no disruptions, and do not leave her side until she is behind her own threshold. Do you understand?”