Alex's gaze swept over the chaos of the ballroom as he mentally called out to Sophie. 'How is Zahara doing?'
Her voice came through their bond, calm but firm. [She was worried.]
'Was?' Alex raised a brow at her words, to which she replied in a low voice, [I told her about it. Only because she was about to head here.]
Sophie sounded sorry, making Alex shake his head internally. 'Don't worry. You guys are more important to me.'
[Un.]
It was only when he heard Sophie's voice and felt her emotions turning normal that he nodded, his sharp eyes flickering to the tense crowd. The second explosion had left the guests even more rattled. Whispers of doubt and fear rippled through the hall, their murmurs louder than they thought.
"Two blasts in the imperial city? How could this happen?"
"Is the empire... weak now?"
Alex's lips tightened into a thin line beneath his mask. The irony wasn't lost on him—how quickly fear could unearth doubt, even in a place as fortified as this.
