Elias had been quiet for longer than usual, his fork pushed aside, his eyes fixed on some point past the fire. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm enough to make the hair on the back of Ruo's neck rise.
"Uno," he said. "What does ether corruption really mean?"
The fork in Uno's hand stilled. His blue eyes slid lazily from his glass to Elias, a smile still resting on his mouth but thinner now, sharpened.
Across the table, Ruo froze mid-breath, her tablet forgotten. Connor muttered something under his breath that sounded like a prayer. Robert's jaw set hard enough to creak, and Ashwin shifted his weight like he was bracing for impact.
Victor's crimson gaze flicked once to Elias, unreadable, then back to Uno. His arm didn't move from the back of Elias's chair, but his pheromones thickened in the air, smoke pressing low and heavy.
