"They had been planting poison in our land from the very beginning?!" Orion shouted. "This is insane! How could they betray the trust you gave them, Your Highness?!"
Azul immediately raised a finger to his lips. "Sshh... don't shout so loudly," he warned. "You might end up attracting the Devourers."
The color drained from Orion's face. He quickly covered his mouth with both hands, suddenly worried that his shouting might actually bring the monsters to them.
Meanwhile, Calen stared at Azul as though he had just discovered an entirely different side of him.
"I had no idea you were that kind of person," he said.
Azul blinked. "What kind of person?"
Calen frowned. "I know you can be soft-hearted sometimes, but trying to take in that many strangers?" He shook his head. "That's new."
Roxanna was about to jump in and defend Azul because she thought Calen was mocking him. However, she quickly realized she had misunderstood.
