Vaelira stepped inside, and the door closed behind her.
The haughty edge was gone. The sharp chin that once tilted upward at anyone she deemed lesser stayed level. Her hands remained clasped in front of her, fingers laced too tightly, knuckles bloodless beneath the skin.
She looked smaller than she was.
Kaiden studied her for a moment, then nodded toward the hallway leading to the kitchenette. Before they moved, though, he paused and glanced at her.
"Congratulations on your speedy recovery, by the way. I thought it'd take a bit longer."
Vaelira's jaw worked. Something flickered behind her eyes, not quite resentment, more like the memory of it, a phantom limb twitching where defiance used to live.
"The healers said the same..." she grumbled. No bite. No venom. Just the tired acknowledgment of someone who had survived something she didn't want to think about too carefully.
"Alright," Kaiden said.
He turned and walked, expecting her to follow.
She did.
