Lara, dressed in a crimson riding coat with her hair braided like a crown, smiled faintly as they entered. "You're late," she said, a teasing lilt in her voice. "We are beginning to think you'd reneged on what we discussed yesterday."
"Of course not, Lady Lara. How can we do that?" Nasser replied smoothly, a practiced grin stretching across his face. "That is the very purpose of why we visit Savadra."
"Is it?" Lara's eyes slid past him and fixed on Kasmer, her gaze steady and unnervingly precise. The challenge in her stare was unmistakable.
Kasmer's jaw tightened. He turned his head, as if unable—or unwilling—to meet her eyes. His silence spoke louder than any denial.
The door burst open again, slamming against the wall. Gideon staggered in, breathless and wide-eyed, his face drained of color.
"Sis… it's bad," he gasped. His chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. Clearly, he had run all the way there.
