Valerian went completely motionless. The towering, commanding King of the East stared at his wife, the color draining noticeably from his sun-bronzed face. "How... how do you know that name?" he whispered, his voice dropping an octave. "Not ten living souls across the five realms know that the Heart is called the Hollow Star."
"I spoke with Rimea's husband in the gallery," Aurelia answered smoothly. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before lifting her chin. "And afterward, I went down and spoke with your brother in the lower cells."
Valerian's eyes widened in sudden, dark alarm. "You what?" He took a sharp step forward, his gaze dropping swiftly down her frame to the hem of her midnight-blue gown and heavy cloak, noticing the dark, damp stains of sea-water clinging to the velvet. "You descended into the flooded cells? Against my explicit orders?"
