"Can you get Amias? He should be here."
The words come out steady, which surprises him. He expects his voice to crack. It doesn't. He's learned, over the years, how to lock parts of himself away when the moment demands it. This is one of those moments.
Rayne betrays a subtle freeze. It's just a pause, a tightening of her fingers around the shawl draped over her shoulders—but Darien sees it immediately. He always notices when women brace themselves like that. His mother does the same thing when she's about to say something cruel and pretend it's mercy.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Rayne says carefully.
Darien's stomach sinks.
"What do you mean?" Grayson asks before Darien can. His tone is polite, but there's an edge to it now. "Did something happen?"
Rayne doesn't look at Darien when she answers. She looks past him, toward the mansion doors, as if expecting someone or something to come bursting through them.
