"What do you mean by that?" she demanded, her eyes locking onto his, searching, pressing, refusing to let him retreat into silence again.
Georgia tightened her grip on him slightly, her own fear barely contained as she glanced between them.
"Lucas, what is happening?" she added, her voice strained, "what did you see out there? Who did this to you?"
Lucas's breath came unevenly, his body still trembling faintly, though whether it was from weakness or something deeper, neither of them could tell, he looked between them as though trying to decide where to begin, how to say something that could not be undone once spoken.
"I—"
The door opened gently with a loud squeak as all three of them turned. King Kaelvryn stood at the entrance though his expression was controlled, there was something beneath it, like a storm held carefully behind closed doors.
"I need to speak with him... alone," he said.
