Hezekiah and Seraphine rested in an inn with two sentinels still following them, or more likely, still watching Hezekiah's movements. This caused Seraphine to twitch her lips as they were peacefully eating in a tavern.
"Why protect her?" she asked out of nowhere.
Hezekiah, whose mind was preoccupied with their conversation earlier, snapped back to reality. "I'm sorry?" he parroted.
Seraphine didn't repeat herself. She cut a piece of meat with precise pressure, eyes fixed on her plate.
"Your sister," she clarified. "You stepped between her and your Order's men when they attempted to imprison her. She's already a tainted human. Oh, she was no longer human and an Argenthal hunter. I stand to be corrected."
Hezekiah's jaw tightened. He reached for his cup, drank, and set it down harder th
