For a moment, their eyes met.
Neither of them looked away.
And Adrian's smile widened slightly.
Yes.
This was going to be interesting.
Kael noticed.
Of course he did.
For a brief moment the reception floor continued moving around them as if nothing had changed soft music threading through the room, glasses clinking lightly, quiet conversations weaving together.
But the space between the three of them had shifted.
Kael's hand remained resting lightly against the back of the chair beside Iren, the gesture casual enough that no one nearby would question it.
Still.
It stayed there a second longer than necessary.
Across the room, Adrian lifted his glass slightly again, the motion almost absentminded.
But his eyes were still on Iren.
Kael removed his hand from the chair.
"Are you ready to leave?" he asked.
The question was directed at Iren, but his gaze remained on Adrian for half a second longer before shifting back.
Iren blinked.
"Already?"
"We've stayed long enough."
