Both men stiffened instantly.
The pleasure that filled the room moments ago was shattered by the chill that swept in behind that whisper.
Kaelith's eyes widened, his lips still parted from Hale's mouth.
Hale swallowed and said, Do you understand now… why I didn't want you to check outside?
Kaelith nodded slowly, breath caught.
If that scream had been meant for everyone, Hale continued, the guards would've responded. But it didn't echo, it stayed close. It came here. That means whatever it was… it was meant for no good.
Kaelith said nothing for a long second.
Then he leaned forward again, kissed Hale deeply, and whispered, "Thank you."
The morning arrived in Zarethrone not with peace, but with a strange, aching quiet. The warmth of dawn did little to calm the unrest settling across the kingdom. And as sunlight poured over the rooftops, it illuminated more than just cobbled streets and silent towers, it revealed the aftermath of the night.
The spell had lifted.
