As Jayran remained rigid by the door, his earlier shock and disbelief slowly melted and hardened into anger.
"What the fuck did you just do?!" he demanded.
Elka didn't flinch. She held his gaze for a moment, her breathing controlled despite the way her hands had gone cold at her sides. She had not planned for someone to walk in at that exact moment. She did not look away even when Jayran's glare threatened to incinerate her on the spot.
"I— I" She stuttered, lost for words.
"Answer me!" Jayran snapped, stepping forward. "You just threw my brother off the balcony! Have you lost your mind?"
She pressed her lips together, fighting the urge to cower in the face of his rage. There was no way to explain this quickly. No version of the truth that would appeal to him at this very moment. She stood her ground and kept her head up, even as her pulse hammered in her throat.
