"Uh… sir, I, um—" Willow immediately started blurting out, her words tripping over each other as she tried and failed to come up with an excuse.
Sylas's gaze swept over her, sharp and assessing, before landing on the bag she was clutching to her chest. Then his eyes shifted to Navian, who unsurprisingly looked completely unbothered by the confrontation, his expression unreadable and calm.
"You two went off campus," Sylas said evenly.
Willow's mouth snapped shut. She was thinking of a good lie.
"We did," Navian replied before she could speak, his tone cool and dismissive. "But we're back now, and I don't see any reason to prolong this conversation."
Sylas studied him for a moment before nodding slowly. "You can go in, Willow." Then his eyes flicked back to Navian. "You too."
Relief flooded her. She quickly waved at Navian before scurrying toward the dorm entrance, the tension in her shoulders only easing once she was safely out of sight.
