"Say, what do you think their next course of action will be?"
The room turned cold the moment those words left Lugh's lips.
A stillness fell. No one answered. Eyes darted across the room—some narrowing in suspicion, others widening in disbelief—as a single, unspoken thought surfaced in every mind.
Assassination.
But no one dared voice it.
This wasn't a conversation that belonged here—in front of so many eyes and ears. This was the sort of talk that ought to be whispered behind closed doors, not laid bare in front of a crowd.
And yet, Lugh had done just that. Why? What was his game?
Before anyone could recover, Lugh turned his gaze to a particular figure. His voice was deliberate.
"Mr. Vaire,"
He said softly,
"do you know what your family's next move will be… or would you prefer that I say it out loud?"
The amiable expression on the older man's face had long evaporated. His back straightened. His voice, though still calm, was edged with steel.
