The light in the parlor had faded into a soft, even blue—no longer golden from sunset, no longer sharp from day, but it wasn't moody or dramatic.
It just existed there now, like dusk had chosen to settle and stay for a while, but inside the room, nothing had softened.
The air didn't ease or loosen with the hour. It held, steady and still, like a room breathing through someone else's chest.
Elowen leaned back slightly in her chair, just enough for her spine to press into the cushion behind her. She wasn't tense, but she wasn't relaxed either.
Her eyes stayed level, her posture composed, but her mind was clearly turning. Not in a frantic way.
Just be fast and silent, the way someone thinks when everything starts to fall into place.
"So," she said after a long enough pause that everyone in the room could feel it, but no one was brave—or stupid-enough to break it. "Let's clear this up."
