"Hmm… so you visited the horse stables, the herb center, the training space… the dungeons?" Zyren's voice was smooth, but the thickness to his tone was impossible to miss. It crept into his words like a slow-building storm, drawing Aria's hand to still in mid-motion, her spoon hovering just above her plate. Her fingers clenched slightly around it before she slowly set it down, forcing herself to glance up at him.
He was smiling, lips curled in that same casual curve he often wore, but it was the brightness of his red eyes that made her stomach twist. There was no question in them. Only confirmation. He already knew the answer. And worse, he was giving her the space to lie—to see if she would.
"No! I didn't!" Aria blurted, her voice louder than she intended. The air around her felt sharp, pressing inward.
