The dining room fell quiet after Kael's departure, Morvienne returning to the last of her meal, while Thalira maintained an impeccable posture, her spine straight as a blade and fingers curled lightly around the delicate handle of her teacup.

Her face was a mask of serene interest, but those who knew how to look—and Morvienne did—might catch the faint pulse at the base of her throat, and the way her gaze lingered a fraction too long on the empty space Kael had occupied.

At last, Morvienne finished her meal, setting her utensils down with a gentle clink that seemed to punctuate the silence. She pressed a napkin to her lips,...