The room stayed quiet in the way that rooms do when everyone inside them is thinking and nobody has decided to speak first. Alaric stood near the table with his eyes on the map. Sean was by the door, still and watchful, and Silas had not moved from where he stood since the conversation ended.
Then a knock came. Not loud, not careful, just one single knock that landed and stopped, like whoever was on the other side had made their point and was done waiting for an invitation.
Sean's eyes moved to the door. He did not reach for it immediately. He listened for a second knock, for a voice, for anything that would tell him what was standing on the other side. Nothing came. Just silence sitting where a second knock should have been.
He crossed the room and opened the door.
