Her blood turned cold. Her fingers twitched over the page, nearly crumpling it.
“What—” she swallowed, forcing a laugh, too thin to sound natural. “Oh? I… it’s only a name. Common enough, isn’t it?”
But Kaidan’s eyes lifted back to hers, steady, sharp, and sad in a way that made her skin prickle.
Elowyn’s heart slammed so hard she feared he could hear it.
But she forced out a quick laugh, high and fragile.
“Such a coincidence,” she said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear with slightly shaking fingers. “That’s my good friend’s name.”
Kaidan arched a brow, his smile still fixed but quieter now.
He didn’t interrupt, only leaned back as though inviting her to go on.
Her mind raced. She lowered her gaze to the parchment, clutching the quill like a lifeline. The lie tumbled o
