A pensive expression instantly appeared on King Jared's face even as he pushed himself to his feet. The movement was slow, deliberate, as though his body obeyed out of habit while his mind lagged behind, chewing on the weight of what he had just heard.
He wasn't the only one struggling to process it.
Clara sat stiffly, her brows knitting together as she wondered how such a critical piece of information had slipped past all of them for so long. It felt like a failure—hers included.
"They are alive?" Jared asked again, his voice low, edged with disbelief as he turned back to Falson for confirmation.
Falson nodded immediately, his grim expression deepening. "Alive," he said firmly. "His mother and his elder brother. They're skin and bones, Your Majesty, but once they're fed blood, I see no reason why we can't use them."
Clara's lips pressed into a thin line.
