The silence that settled outside their door lingered longer than Aurelia expected.
She remained frozen where she stood, her gaze fixed on the wooden door as though it might suddenly burst open. The strange grunt they had heard moments ago still echoed faintly in her mind, leaving an uncomfortable tension crawling beneath her skin.
Beside her, Malion had gone completely still and placed an hold on what he was doing.
His relaxed posture soon came back when he heard another sound.
Another faint rustling sound scraped across the hallway floor.
Aurelia's fingers tightened around the folds of her cloak.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered, her voice barely rising above the faint crackle of the lantern.
Malion's gaze never left the door.
"Yes."
For a long moment neither of them moved. The air inside the small inn room felt suddenly heavier, as though even breathing too loudly might provoke whatever waited outside.
Then a scratching noise sounded near the bottom of the door.
