Elena POV

I had no intention of leaving the hallway after Kael stormed into Aria’s room. I had been walking past when I heard his voice, sharper than usual, low but breaking with the weight of something more than anger. That caught my attention immediately. Kael rarely lost control, but with her he always seemed to crack in ways that made me grind my teeth.

I leaned against the wall, careful not to breathe too loud. Their voices carried easily enough through the wood of her door.

“You vanish without telling me,” Kael was saying. “You come back pale as death. You argue with Elena in front of the workers....