Laila studied his profile for a moment, then smiled. "Do you also know I'm Eryx's sister? Your friends seemed pretty surprised," she said, turning her head to look at him.
Alaric kept his eyes on the road, his expression calm. "I had my doubts," he replied evenly. "Although… the first time I saw you, I thought you were his girlfriend."
"What?" Laila laughed, shaking her head. "Really? I told that idiot we give off lovers vibes, not siblings."
Alaric hummed, his lips twitching as if he was fighting a smile. "Yeah… well, you definitely don't give off sibling energy." He paused, then added carefully, "At least, not the kind people are used to."
She turned more fully toward him now, clearly entertained. "Is that your polite way of saying we're confusing?"
"More like… noticeable," he said, choosing the word deliberately. "You both have strong personalities. That tends to draw attention."
Laila grinned. "Careful, you're sounding like you've been observing me."
