Alaric shut his eyes tightly and dragged a hand through his hair, frustration and confusion twisting in his chest. "Fuck…"
…
Back at the group, the tension was thick. Laila stood slightly apart, arms wrapped around herself. She couldn't meet anyone's eyes, especially not her brother's. Her heart was racing so hard she felt dizzy.
Rhydric watched her silently. He had known from the very beginning that she was lying. He hadn't said a word then, and he didn't say one now. His grey eyes simply flicked between her and Eryx who just arrived.
Eryx returned, jaw locked. He threw Laila a deathly glare that made her flinch, but he didn't speak to her. Instead, he looked at the rest of the group. "Let's go home," he said curtly.
Athena had just started walking toward their car when a hesitant voice called out behind her. "Athena… wait."
Athena stopped on her track. The group paused with her.
