"Here comes the tyrant…"
The words echoed through Emerald's head like a thunderclap, small but deafening.
She stood frozen. "What… was that?" she murmured, half to herself.
Viola stirred in her mind, teeth bared. "No idea, Em, but we're sure as hell not imagining it now. Something's wrong here."
Emerald's eyes narrowed slightly as she stared down the empty path where the boy had run. Her mind raced, drawing circles around a thousand unspoken questions, none of which made any sense.
Lucien didn't seem to react. She wasn't sure if he hadn't heard or if he had, but decided not to say anything.
Either way, since he wasn't talking about it, she decided to keep quiet too.
Instead, she said lightly, "I think that's enough exploring for today. Can we return to the main quarters?"
Lucien nodded without hesitation. "Of course."
