Lory's fingers paused in the middle of fastening Zhao Li Xin's vest. The golden buttons gleamed under her touch, but her focus had slipped elsewhere. A faint ripple, like a disturbance across still water, shivered through her chest.
Her brows knitted slightly, an involuntary reaction to the subtle turbulence she felt in her power. It wasn't strong, she knew, unlike the connection between Lucas and the Archknight.
Nevertheless, as a Lucient, she still senses a thin thread, and that's enough for her to notice when something shifted. Somewhere far away, Jay was borrowing the Lucient's strength again, tugging faintly at the bond she carried.
"Wife?" Zhao Li Xin's gentle voice pulled her back. He had been watching her closely, and when her hands stilled, he reached out. With a single finger beneath her chin, he lifted her face until their eyes met. His gaze was calm, steady, a grounding anchor. "What's wrong?"
