Chapter 79
Trouble is Like Dust
Grandmother Halton's knife clinked sharply against her plate.
"Enough. This is my table. You will conduct yourselves with civility, or you will leave."
But the energy Lev had dragged into the room was like a lit fuse, once sparked, impossible to extinguish with a single command. He leaned back in his chair, arranging his features into something resembling ease, though his eyes still burned with unrest.
"Civility. Of course, Grandmother."
His gaze slid back to me, slow and deliberate, a mocking smile curving his mouth.
"My apologies, Alayna. My stepbrother's… protective instincts must be contagious. I forget not everyone is accustomed to such intensity. It must be overwhelming for you, Alayna."
The words were polished, almost courteous, but the intent was sharp. He was trying to make Dafa seem excessive, crude even, something out of place in a room like this.
Beside me, Dafa went very still.
Not tense.
Not defensive.
Waiting.
