"Stay exactly where you are, Ghea. Do not take another step toward the gate until I have completed the security sweep," Gillian commanded, his voice sharp and reverberating across the cold stone of the front yard.
Ghea paused, her hand hovering over the iron latch of the main entrance. The morning air was biting, carrying the scent of impending rain and the metallic tang of the weapons Gillian had been inspecting since dawn. She looked back at him, her expression a mixture of frustration and resignation.
"I am only checking the garden, Gillian. The roses need attention, and the air here is far better than the recycled atmosphere of the lower halls," she retorted, her chin lifted in a silent challenge.
Gillian crossed the yard in a few long, powerful strides. He did not look at the ro
