And beside him, right beside him, shoulder to shoulder, the alignment made visible and deliberate and impossible to misread, Kalian stood.
Julian's uncle. A Vale. Standing beside Sebastian, like they had been in the same room planning this for considerably longer than tonight.
Julian looked at his uncle.
Kalian met his eyes without flinching. With the steady, slightly sorrowful expression of a man performing concern. "I need to be here," Kalian said quietly. "To ensure this is handled properly. For the family's sake. You understand."
What he meant was: so you can't make it disappear. What he meant was: I don't trust you. What he meant was: I am already on the other side of this, Seb, and I have been for longer than you know.
Julian held his uncle's gaze for exactly three seconds. Then he looked at Amara.
