The first thing Kaelen met when he walked through the gates of the Verant estate was Aldric's fury.
His brother stood at the top of the marble steps, arms crossed, jaw locked so tight the muscles in his temples jumped like live wires. Snow had piled on his shoulders, thick and wet. It dusted his hair white.
The servants had tried to get him inside. Kaelen could see that too, a wool blanket lay crumpled on the step beside him. A half empty cup of tea sat frozen on the railing, the liquid cracked like old glass.
They had failed to get him in.
"One week."
His voice didn't sound right, it was low, controlled, the kind of quiet that comes right before a man breaks.
"You were gone for one week, no note, no message, no warning." He came down the steps. One at a time, slow and deliberate. His boots crunched on the frozen gravel. "I woke up and you were gone, your bed was empty both your personal maid and your guard were missing."
Kaelen opened his mouth to speak.
"Don't."
