Gold light poured from chandeliers high above the ceiling of a massive tent, spilling across tables laden with silver and glass, roasted meats, and fruit so ripe it gleamed like jewels. The air buzzed with music and laughter, but beneath it all there was something else—something colder.
Fear.
It lingered like smoke in every corner, curling beneath every smile and toast, and I could see it most clearly in the way people’s eyes flicked toward Kael as we entered the room. Conversations faltered, laughter softened. Some even bowed. Others simply looked away.
They all feared him.
I felt his arm tighten slightly around mine as we passed. To anyone watching, it might have looked natural—a man escorting his companion, his prize—but I knew the control in that touch. Just enough to guide, not e
