Valerie’s POV:
“You two, halt!”
*Shit.*
I froze mid-step, Melehan halting beside me. My pulse hammered in my throat. *Run? Reveal myself?* Every instinct screamed at me to move, but I forced stillness.
Bootsteps echoed against the polished floor—closer, closer—then stopped.
“Show yourselves.”
We turned slowly, my hood still shadowing my face. Through the fabric’s edge, I glimpsed him: the patrol captain, his gaze sharp as a blade as it locked onto Melehan.
“Have we..met before?” The guard’s voice was laced with suspicion.
Melehan didn’t flinch. He stood rigid, shoulders squared, meeting the man’s stare without a word.
The guard’s jaw tightened. “I believe I’m talking to you.”
He took a step forward—
And I saw it. The subtle shift in Melehan’s posture, his hand slidi
