"Then we make your existence inconvenient."
That earned a quiet huff of amusement from him, brief but genuine. It faded quickly as footsteps approached from the dormward corridor. Nathan emerged first, followed by Adrian and Liliana, the latter clutching a stack of notes that looked perilously close to toppling.
"You two disappeared," Nathan said. His eyes flicked between them, sharp despite the casual tone. "We felt another fluctuation near the eastern stairwell."
Merlin nodded. "It's spreading. Not fast. Carefully."
Dorian appeared behind them without warning, shadows loosening from his shoulders as he stepped into the light. "Then it's confident."
"Or cautious," Adrian muttered. "I don't know which I hate more."
