"You've both matured."
Kael gave a snort of amusement. "That's rich coming from you."
Astron's gaze didn't shift immediately.
But his voice did.
Low. Even.
"How did you know I'd be here tonight?"
Lyra's grin widened, the corners of her mouth curling like she was waiting for that exact question.
"Trade secret," she said, tapping her lips twice with a gloved finger. "Very hush-hush."
"A trade secret," Astron repeated flatly.
"Mmhm." She bounced on her heels. "Guess if you can."
Astron exhaled through his nose—quietly.
Then snorted. Just once.
Not with amusement.
But with inevitability.
His gaze finally moved—slowly settling on both of them in turn. Still, his expression remained unreadable.
"You knew I'd be coming tonight," he began, voice quiet but scalpel-precise. "You knew I'd be speaking with Reina. Which means the information wasn't ambient. It was scheduled."
Neither of them denied it.
Kael just shrugged.
Astron continued.
