Caelan POV:
The corridor outside my room feels different. Not quite in the way a place empties of sound, but alert, like a moment waiting to happen.
I feel Kieran before I see him. He’s leaning against the opposite wall, arms folded, one boot braced casually against the stone. Anyone else would read it as relaxed but I know better. His attention sharpens the moment we round the corner, eyes narrowing just enough as they lock onto us.
His eyes not holding suspicion, but rather understanding.
“That was you,” he says quietly.
Then his gaze shifts, recalibrating and settling on Elara. Not her body but on her presence, the power beneath the skin. His expression changes again, something sober threading through the interest.
“Or… you” he murmurs to her.
I’m suddenly acutely aware of her be
