The silence of the manor was suddenly shattered by the heavy thud of the front door swinging open, the sound echoing through the vaulted corridors like a gunshot.
Rex didn't startle; he simply shifted, his body responding to the sound with the fluid grace of a predator sensing movement in the brush.
He stepped out of the dining room and into the dimly lit hallway, his bare feet silent on the marble as he waited.
Lily came first.
She appeared in the doorway as if stepping out of a dream, backlit by the pale moonlight spilling in from the entrance. She had dressed with a visible, nervous intention.
She wore a simple dress of pale green silk, the color of spring leaves after rain, with a modest neckline that hinted at the soft curves beneath without revealing too much. The skirt swished against her legs as she moved, a soft whisper of fabric that seemed to betray her agitation.
