Vlad stood with his back against the closed door as if he had been nailed there. The scarlet lanterns filling the bedroom cast long shadows, flickering against the wood. Their glow was the same as the night before, yet everything else felt irrevocably different.
Liliette studied his face. The tension in his eyes sent a chill down her spine. It was as if he had carried the abyssal darkness of the night sky into the room with him. Even the sound of her own breathing felt deafening in the sharp silence.
“I’ve thought about why you made that proposal. Your reasoning is sound. As long as external threats remain, you’ll never be able to live in peace. It makes sense.”
Despite the tension in his stance, his baritone voice was somber. For someone who had disappeared for half the day, his response was surprisingly calm. At a glance, he appeared almost indifferent, as if she had merely asked whether she should tie her hair to the left or right.
