Elena practically crash-landed into a chair at the far end of the breakfast hall, gripping the edge of the table like she'd just survived a natural disaster.
Claire sat down opposite her.
Slowly.
With the expression of a woman who had already decided she would get answers one way or another.
"Elena," Claire said gently, "what just happened?"
"Nothing," Elena said too fast, too high-pitched, too everything. "Absolutely nothing happened."
Claire blinked.
"Elena," she repeated, "you look like you were chased by a bear."
"I wasn't chased by a bear."
"So you were chased by my brother."
Elena inhaled sharply through her nose.
Claire's eyebrows rose. "Ah. So it was Soren."
"It wasn't— I wasn't— Nobody was chasing anyone!"
"Elena."
Claire folded her hands like a mother about to discuss poor life choices.
"Did Soren frighten you?"
"No," Elena said.
"Did he upset you?"
"No."
"Did he—"
"No."
Claire leaned forward, lowering her voice.
"Did he kiss you?"
Elena's brain exploded.
"What—NO! Absolutely not! Definitely not! Zero kissing!"
"Mm," Claire said. "So something did happen."
"No!"
"Elena."
Elena groaned into her hands. "Claire, please."
Claire rested her chin on her fingers, studying her with surgical precision.
"You're red," she observed. "Not just embarrassed red. More like… flushed red."
Elena slapped her palms over her cheeks. "I'm just… warm."
"In a stone castle," Claire deadpanned.
"I have… a high metabolism."
Claire's eyes narrowed with amused suspicion.
"How long were you with Soren this morning?"
"Thirty seconds," Elena muttered.
"And in that time," Claire said, "you somehow acquired the expression of someone who has recently been… compromised."
Elena nearly died.
"CLAIRE!"
Claire leaned back, laughing softly.
"Oh, Elena," she said, shaking her head. "He does that to people."
"He shouldn't do that," Elena muttered. "It's rude."
Claire laughed harder.
But then her smile gentled.
"Look at me."
Elena dragged her gaze up reluctantly.
"Soren is…" Claire searched for a word. "Intense. Overwhelming. And almost never gentle with anyone."
Elena swallowed.
"But with you," Claire said softly, "he keeps trying."
Elena's heart did something stupid and traitorous in her chest.
"I don't know what you mean," she whispered.
Claire arched a brow. "No? Then why are you breathing like you just ran up a mountain because he merely stood near you?"
Elena glared weakly. "Because your brother violates the personal space of innocent civilians."
"Ah yes," Claire said. "That must be it."
They stared at each other.
Claire: knowing.Elena: dying inside.
Finally, Claire reached across the table and squeezed Elena's hand.
"You don't have to tell me anything. Not until you want to," she said warmly."But, Elena… you can talk to me."
Elena let out a slow, shaky breath.
"Claire?"
"Yes?"
"Is your brother always like this?"
Claire considered.
"No," she said honestly. "He's worse."
Elena dropped her head onto the table with a thump.
Claire patted her hair. "Welcome to the North."