"WAIT," Elin whispered, her hand tightening on Mailah's arm with surprising strength. "There's something I need to tell you."
Mailah and Grayson exchanged glances, and she saw the wariness flash through his now more blue-gray eyes.
The corridor stretched before them, empty for now but who knew for how long. The anniversary gathering was still in full swing somewhere beyond these walls, and Varrow could return at any moment with reinforcements.
"Can it wait until we're somewhere safer?" Grayson asked, though his tone was gentle despite the urgency underlying it. "The estate would be—"
"No," Elin interrupted, her voice cracking with desperation. "You need to know now. Before—before you change your minds about helping me."
The tremor in her words made Mailah's chest tighten.
She guided Elin toward a small alcove set into the corridor wall, a semi-private space where they could talk without being completely exposed.
