Two rows away from Mia, Saret waited for the perfect moment to strike, all of his attention focused on the combatants. It was risky to be so close to the stage, but it maximized his odds of success—and put him within grabbing distance of Mia, if the opportunity presented itself.
Of course, when he’d chosen this location, he didn’t know Korum’s charl would be so heavily guarded. Not only was she sitting next to Arus, but there were also at least two guardians watching her. Saret had spotted them earlier. They tried to blend with the crowd, but their sharp gazes betrayed their true purpose: they were there to protect Mia.
Saret wondered if Korum suspected anything, or if he was just being paranoid about his charl’s safety. Either way, it looked like Mia was out of Saret’s reach for now—at
