[Meredith].
I didn't answer right away. I nodded and told Draven he was right.
Just as I was about to explain, I shook my head instead. The words stalled on my tongue. Without saying anything, I reached for his hand and kept walking.
I didn't trust the environment. Stormveil had ears—walls that listened, servants who passed silently, wolves whose senses were sharper than they let on. This wasn't a conversation meant for the air.
So I shifted into the matebond.
"You're right," I told him quietly. "Something has been bothering me."
I felt his attention sharpen instantly. Then, I told him everything about what happened from the moment I walked into Xamira's bedroom to get her for breakfast. And then—about the comment.
"She said I've changed," I continued. "That I feel… colder."
Draven's steps faltered. "Xamira really said that?" he asked through the bond.
I released a slow breath. "Yes."
