The power surge had been strong enough that the outer corridor wards still carried a faint echo when Aiden stepped out of the chamber ten minutes after Selene. He banked his power carefully, smoothed his clothes, and walked as if nothing had happened.
Selene stood at the far end of the hall, speaking with a junior acolyte about the evening watch rotation. Her posture was perfect. Only the faint marks on the side of her throat and the careful way she stood gave anything away. She did not look at him as he passed.
He felt the bond between them anyway—thin, warm, still open at the edges.
Two hours later the warning bell sounded in the strategy hall. Selene was already there, reviewing the ward records with her usual precision. Elizabeth sat opposite her. Aiden took the empty seat.
Selene's eyes flicked to him once. The power around her pulsed, just once, in quiet recognition. Then she turned the inscribed tablet toward the others.
