Cherion blew softly across the damp ink at the bottom of the page, watching the dark lines dull under his breath until they were completely dry.
He folded the cream parchment into three neat, even sections, slipped it into a heavy paper envelope, and brought the edge of the flap to his mouth. Licking the bitter strip of dried gum paste, he pressed the paper down firm with his thumb, sealing it tight. He picked up the brass signet ring sitting on the corner of the table, heated a small dollop of dark red wax over the candle flame, and stamped the Valtrane crest dead center across the fold.
"Reiner," Cherion said, leaning back in his chair and holding the letter out.
Reiner, who had been lazily balancing a quill on his index finger near the window, caught the paper before it could even settle on the desk. He looked down at the seal, then back up at Cherion, his usual golden-retriever grin completely vanishing.
