Shadow Priest Ak had not spoken for several seconds.
He simply sat there, watching.
His dark eyes moved slowly from Dante, to Alina, and then back again, as if he was measuring something invisible between them.
Finally Ak leaned back slightly in his chair, the faintest smile touching his lips. It was a knowing smile. The kind that said he understood something no one else did.
"Please," he said calmly, gesturing toward the seats across from him. "Sit."
Dante gave a small nod.
Without hesitation he lifted Lucien easily into his arms and sat down on the long couch, settling the boy on his lap. One arm wrapped naturally around Lucien's small waist, pulling him closer in a protective, almost absentminded.
Lucien leaned comfortably against him, his small body fitting perfectly into the curve of Dante's arm. He did not squirm or protest. He simply settled in like this was exactly where he belonged.
