The tension in the entrance hall shifted from a heavy silence to a suffocating, sour pressure that seemed to thin the very air. Cara let out a sharp gasp, her hand flying to her mouth, while Calista glanced between the guards and Odesse, her mind racing with a single, unanswerable question "Who are the Hisponians?"
"What?" Kael muttered under his breath, his hand instinctively dropping toward the hilt of his blade.
Valex looked down at Odesse. Her eyes were wide with a mix of shock and utter disbelief, her lips parted as the color drained from her face. "Who are those men, my love?" he asked, his voice low and demanding.
Azure broke the agonizing silence with a sudden, mocking burst of laughter. She began to clap her hands continuously, the sound echoing sharply against the high stone arches of the hall. Her amusement was loud, unhinged, and entirely empty of genuine warmth.
