Kyva returned to the Aquiline Quarters.
Just beyond the veranda, she found her master seated beneath the blossoming tree, dappled in shifting light and shadow. For a fleeting moment, she hoped the storm in his temperament had subsided.
First, it was Snowpuff, then her master. But at least Snowpuff had a much more valid reason to be upset than the inscrutable man ahead.
His incredulous words from the night before had lingered in her mind far longer than it should have, clinging stubbornly to her thoughts. Yet he made no effort to explain himself, nor to assure her that he had not suffered from some unseen injury. If anything, his silence had only deepened her concern.
She had been worried about him despite herself.
The last thing she needed was a master whose mind had begun to fracture. He was not suffering from any mental disorder, so she could not explain his mood swings.
