The silence stretched.
For a long heartbeat, no one in the hall dared speak. Only the crackle of the fire filled the space, fragile against the weight of Kael's presence. He did not move, but the shadow of him seemed to reach farther than the light could push back.
Lucian was the first to break it. He tilted his chin, his smile sharpening into something almost reckless. "I would bow, but it seems you already command the room without needing mine."
Kael's gaze lingered on him, unreadable. "A name."
"Lucian," came the reply, smooth as silk. "A traveler, a friend, a man fortunate enough to have known Nerine in her brighter days." His eyes slid toward her, softening deliberately. "And I must say, she is even brighter now."
Nerine's breath hitched. A flush rose unbidden to her cheeks, and she hated that everyone in the room could see it.
