He kept his tone casual, but his mind flashed on the "mistake" anyway, bright and ugly.
Kael remembered the 'mistake' that almost cost him his life.
Seeing Veylan Asher kill that poor reporter, and him witnessing it.
He felt his jaw tighten at the memory, then loosened it deliberately. Mentioning that name was like dropping meat in shark water. He didn't know her. He didn't know who she knew.
He didn't want to tell her anything, after all, Asher was a Guildmaster and had a lot of allies. Some might kill him just for mentioning that guy in a bad light.
"Everyone has a story, I see," she said.
The words sounded simple. But the way she said them made it clear she didn't mean "story" like an anecdote. She meant "weight." Everyone dragged something.
"How about you? What brought you to this forsaken place?"
Kael asked it like a genuine question, but he didn't lean forward. He didn't chase it. He gave her room to dodge if she wanted.
"Fate, bad luck, and responsibility." She said.
