Nobody moved.
That was the worst part.
Not the crossbow. Not the blood. Not even Kael's mother standing on the stairs like she owned the whole damn building.
It was the stillness.
Like everyone in the hallway had forgotten how to breathe.
Lyria kept her eyes on the guard behind the woman. The crossbow was already aimed. Not at Kael. Not at Garrick.
At her.
Of course.
Kael saw it too.
His whole body changed in one second. The hand around Garrick's throat tightened. His shoulders locked. His voice dropped into something low and dangerous.
"Put it down."
His mother didn't even blink.
"Move away from her," she said.
Nobody liked the way she said her. It made Lyria's skin crawl.
Kael didn't move.
"You brought armed guards into my house," he said. "You sent one into my hall with a loaded crossbow. Are you actually insane?"
His mother's expression stayed clean. "I am not the one hiding traitors in the lower wing."
