Velra's nails clicked against the barrel, a soft tap-tap-tap that echoed louder than it should have in the silence. Her crimson eyes didn't leave mine, though her lips curved in a smirk that was half challenge, half warning.
"You mistake dependency for weakness," she said smoothly. "If I choose to trade with humans, it is because it amuses me. Nothing more."
I chuckled. "Of course. You're not desperate. You're just… indulging yourself by clinging to a half-rotten supply line."
Her gaze sharpened, the glow in her pupils flaring like embers. For a moment, the room felt smaller, air pulled thin by her presence alone. Amelia's hand twitched at her side, no doubt ready to summon her magic in case this delicate truce snapped.
