For a while, there was silence as Alenia kept her eyes locked with Kael before the dragon leaned forward, his golden eyes gleaming, his voice elegant but edged with blunt truth.
"First of all—with me here, you aren't strong enough to do anything, Alenia. No matter how evil you think you are, without power, your fears are meaningless."
Alenia's wings stiffened. Her deadpan stare rose despite herself. "…You really know how to make a woman feel comforted."
A low chuckle curled at Kael's lips as he tilted his head, his voice softer now. "I'm not trying to comfort you here. I'm telling you why I never once doubted you. Because I know what kind of woman you are."
As Alenia stared at him with her lips slightly parted, Kael continued.
"You're the one who saved children you didn't know. The one who stood between strangers and danger when it wasn't your fight. The one who still calls herself 'evil' while being more human than most humans I've seen."
