Alistair moved before Eva's mind had caught up to the sound of Julian's voice one hand shoving her behind him, the other already curved into something that wasn't fully a hand anymore.
"You have three seconds to explain why you're standing on my terrace," he said, "before I stop caring about the answer."
"Straight to violence. No wonder she likes you." Julian didn't retreat, didn't even straighten from his lazy lean against the doorframe, and that unbothered calm was somehow worse than any threat he could have made outright. "Relax, Your Majesty. I'm not here to fight. I'm here because Damon grew tired of waiting for his seven days, and thought a small demonstration might speed things along."
The explosion came from the eastern wall a half-second later not the courtyard gate this time,
