Meredith.
I didn't flinch as I held Draven's gaze. The air between us crackled with tension, his towering frame casting a long, silent challenge I refused to acknowledge.
His broad shoulders, now tightly drawn beneath his coat and his hair tied back in a bun, only made his expression more intolerable.
Azul must have sensed the brewing storm because her voice came softly from beside me. "My lady."
I blinked, finally pulling my gaze from his steel eyes and lowering it to Xamira. The poor girl looked utterly confused by my words. She didn't understand the little verbal jab I had just delivered—good, because no child needed to.
I offered her a warm, calm smile.
"See you," I said in a light tone. But the words were pointed, and they weren't only meant for her.
Just then, a sharp knock echoed through the door.
Kira moved to answer it. A quiet exchange followed, and then the door opened wider to reveal Jeffery.
