For a moment, silence settled over the hall.
The manticore slowly lowered its massive head, its golden eyes narrowed upon the portrait held in Morvain's hands, while its nostrils flared faintly, releasing slow streams of heated breath that echoed through the chamber with a low rumbling sound.
Then, after several long moments passed in silence, the beast slowly shook its head.
"I do not remember."
The answer was calm.
Simple.
But the effect it had on Morvain was immediate.
The sharpness in his eyes dimmed for just a fraction of a second, and although his expression barely changed, Kiara still noticed the faint tightening around his jaw and the way his fingers curled slightly harder around the edge of the portrait, as though he were restraining something far heavier than anger.
Still, he continued.
