"Send for Severin to secure the palace," Arik ordered. "Lord Liam does not have clearance to approach it within a ten-mile radius."
Liam stopped struggling over his shoulder.
The silence should have warned Arik.
It warned the guards.
By the time the physicians finished confirming that the fragment had not visibly damaged Liam's mark, channels, or core, Liam had progressed beyond irritation into a cold, concentrated fury that followed them all the way back to the private imperial wing.
Now he paced across the study with his arms folded tightly over his chest.
Arik stood beside the desk, reviewing the preliminary scan results on a suspended display. He had removed his formal coat, but the loss of one layer had done nothing to make him appear less severe.
"You carried me through the palace," Liam said.
"You kept attempting to negotiate your release."
"Because I am an adult."
"Your recent behavior has produced insufficient evidence."
