Hope's POV.
Velara stares at Malakar, her lips part as if to say something - but nothing comes out. Her face is composed, but her eyes betray her. A flicker of unease. A shadow of something deeper. Malakar steps closer, his eyes narrowing. "Don't lie to me, mother."
She lifts her chin slightly. "I'm not lying. I was... surprised, that's all. Shocked to see him like that."
"Surprised?" Malakar echoes, the word sharp and bitter. "You've seen worse. Dealt with worse. But the second Lucian gets dragged in, half-dead, you're suddenly offering to help? That's not just shock. That's something else."
Velara folds her arms across her chest in a defensive motion. "I did what anyone would have done."
"No." Malakar says, stepping even closer. "You didn't. You did what no one expected you to do."
