Eventually, I finished the last crumbs of bread and downed the remaining soup in a single swig. The warmth spread through my chest, easing the tension I didn't know I'd been carrying.
Kael had also emptied her bowl, wiping her mouth with a neatly folded handkerchief—an unexpectedly graceful gesture for someone dressed like a mercenary.
Evelyn, meanwhile, was still munching slowly on her bread, eyes flicking between me and Kael with a mixture of suspicion and irritation.
A smirk tugged at my lips.
Time to poke the dragon again.
Leaning slightly toward Kael, I lowered my voice just enough to let it curl between us like smoke. "So, Kael… would you mind accompanying me upstairs?"
She paused mid-wipe, eyes narrowing a bit as if uncertain she heard me right. The surprise hit her quick and sharp—she even coughed, caught off guard.
