The suite was quiet, lit only by an oil lamp on the desk.
Mira stood with her back to him, hands braced on the edge of the table, the letters spread out before her like evidence of a dying city.
Her shoulders were tight, the strict bun pulling her features into that severe mask she wore like armour.
Kai closed the door behind him and leaned against it, watching her.
The party's sound could be heard faintly through the walls, but in here, the air was still and thick.
He could see the tension in her spine, the way her fingers gripped the wood too hard.
'She's been carrying this city alone for years. Weak men all around her, and she's drowning in their incompetence.'
"You've read enough," Kai said, his voice low and even.
"You knew the Duke was crooked before I walked in with those letters."
Mira let out a breath, something between a laugh and a sigh. S
he straightened slowly but didn't turn around.
