The night air outside the Numen estate was cool and heavy, thick with the scent of rain that hadn't yet decided to fall. It was the dead of winter but the gods' fight had totally thrown the weather into disarray.
The black car moved in silence through the long, tree-lined drive, its lights cutting through the mist like steady, unhurried breath. Inside, the only sound was the faint hum of the engine and Elias's uneven sighs.
He hadn't said a word since they left the dining hall.
Not during the brief exchange with the guards, not when Victor had guided him gently into the car, and not when the city lights began to recede behind them.
The silence was not uncomfortable; rather, it was dense, like the aftermath of lightning.
Victor didn't disturb it. He sat with his usual stillness, one hand resting loosely on the wheel, the other near enough that Elias could have taken it if he wanted to. He didn't.
