Eva wasn't sure how long she had tried to make sense of Mireille's detailed report, but at some point, the sun set in the window behind her and Chloe had lit candles. The sound of someone running in the halls alerted the two, and Chloe pulled a very large knife from somewhere and stood near the door as a bodyguard.
A panicked knock came at the door, which made the two relax considerably. An elven soldier came through the doors next and seemed to be out of breath. Eva grasped part of her skirt in her hand as she tried to control her emotions. She would surely have heard if Lucas had returned by now. That he had not meant that something delayed him, or worse, that he was attacked.
She knew it was silly to fear his losing a fight. No, it was more likely that he would be hurt by the plentiful beasts coming from the mountains. However, not knowing exactly what happened made her worry. It was at this moment that she felt his absence all the more harshly.
