"My, my. You two seem… more in sync than usual. Practically sharing a shadow. One might think you were anticipating trouble."
He let the word 'trouble' hang, his gaze lingering on the minimal space between Kairen and me.
The threat wasn't to his life. It was to his reputation, his power. A prince who can't control his own guard is weak. A guard who oversteps is a liability.
Before the tension could snap, a voice cut through from my side.
"Viktor Volkov. Now there's a ghost from the payroll."
I turned, my body automatically positioning itself to keep both the speaker and Kairen in view. The woman was in her late thirties, dressed in a severe black gown that cost more than some cars. Elena Rostova. Former GRU, now a… consultant. A facilitator for people who needed problems to disappear quietly.
"Elena," I said, my voice flat. "I thought you were retired."
