“It’s dark and cold, a lot like this. Plus, it stinks half the time.”
“And the other half?”
“It burns.”
Caelen sent me a soft look. Almost pitying.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
“Don’t. Seriously.”
“Elira…”
“For real, Caelen. It’s not necessary.”
“Okay,” he said, his voice deceptively calm.
“But for what it’s worth? Even in a place like this… you’d still shine.”
I flushed. Gods. “Stop flirting with me. It’s weird.”
“Is it?”
“Yes!” I grumbled, turning away so he wouldn’t see the heat creeping up my neck. “I’ve already got a full deck of emotionally confusing men, thank you very much.”
“Do your men not flirt with you?” he asked, his voice annoyingly soft.
“They’re not my men…”
A pause. A beat too long.
“Do they know that?” he said, too casual to be casual.
I shot him a look. “I mean—yeah. Of course I care about them. A lot. But I don’t expect anything—”
I caught myself, flustered. “Stop it. We’re exploring. Focus,Your Grace.”
He laughed quietly behind me.
A tattered length of curtain was crumpled on the ground like old skin.
Then—up ahead. A mouse.
It froze for a heartbeat, nose twitching, then darted forward.
I stiffened.
Not unusual, but something about it… pulled at me.
Small. Grey. Quiet.
I stepped forward, following.
It skittered down the hall, tail flicking behind it like a whisper. Toward a staircase, still mostly intact despite the fire.
“Elle?” Caelen asked behind me. “Where are you—?”
“I saw something,” I said quickly. “I’ll just be a minute.”
