Kael
The castle was quieter now, but not in the old-stone, candlelit way people romanticize. The overhead lights hummed faintly. Security panels blinked at hallway junctions. Cameras rotated in slow, controlled arcs.
My boots hit polished flooring in a steady rhythm as I moved through the west wing. I was a man on a mission.
By the time I reached my door, the adrenaline had burned off, leaving something sharper underneath.
Expectation.
I unlocked it.
The lights were on. Soft. Warm. Not dramatic.
Reddick was stretched across the couch like he owned the place, one ankle hooked over the opposite knee, scrolling through something on his phone.
He looked up when I entered.
“You’re back,” he said.
I closed the door behind me. “You’re still here.”
He lifted one brow. “You told me not
