Gwen raised an eyebrow at Auris. “That went well, did it?” There was a slight mockery in her tone, a quiet intensity in her gaze.
Gwen didn’t address Auris often, but when she did, it made Auris a bit uneasy. The other woman should be deferential, should be uncertain. Gwen went through all the motions of acknowledging Auris’ authority, but when she made eye contact, she held it with a steadiness that almost felt like a challenge. Like Gwen believed Auris could do her worst, and she’d still be left standing at the end of it.
That wasn’t true, of course. But that certainty, that lack of shame in Gwen’s eyes, was still unsettling. There was only one good way to react to Gwen, and that was to keep from showing her any doubt, any hesitation.
Auris mustered a powerful glare to direct again
