Heena slumped back against the oversized, plush velvet cushion resting against the headboard of her bed, her eyes slipping shut as a wave of deep, bone-deep exhaustion washed over her.
"Kael," she murmured into the quiet room.
"Yes, Madam?" Kael responded instantly, stepping slightly closer to the bed.
"How many years has it been since you started working for my grandfather?"
Kael stood at attention, his tone completely respectful. "It has been about thirteen years, Madam."
Heena paused. Her eyes remained closed, but beneath her eyelids, a sudden, terrifying blankness washed over her mind. Thirteen years? If he had been serving for thirteen years, how old was he? She tried to grasp the memory of Kael telling her his age, but the information was just... gone. It felt like reaching for a book on a shelf in a completely pitch-black room. Her memory was actively failing her.
