Though Xander kept his eyes on the road, not a flicker of my expression escaped him. The slight furrow of my brow, the faint contraction of my pupils as I took in the strange cityscape around us. He caught it all.
"You're nervous."
"Am I not allowed to be?" I forced a faint smirk, still trying to keep my emotions on a tight leash.
Xander didn't answer right away. His gaze shifted toward the road ahead, where the imperial palace loomed at the edge of the skyline, like a beast from slumber. When he spoke again, his voice dropped low and solemn.
"Did you remember what I told you?"
The memory of that fading sunset on the ship's prow surged back to me. That day, Xander had laid bare far more than he needed to, about Verelen, about the game Rorden had been orchestrating for three years, about the overwhelming military power lying in wait beneath the calm surface.
Even though he'd warned me, I was still floored by the reality.
