"Bring her."
The voice did not come from the tunnel, nor from any throat that Adrian could see, yet it seemed to pass through the stone itself and settle inside his bones, leaving him unable to decide whether the trembling in his hands came from fear or from the strange pressure gathering beneath the floor. Silas raised his weapon fully this time, his eyes moving across the abandoned platform while Victor Graves stood unnaturally still, the colour having drained from his face despite every effort he made to conceal his unease. Selene alone remained composed beside the ancient chamber, though even she had lowered her head slightly, as if listening to an old sovereign whose patience she had learned never to test.
"Was that Eryndor?" Adrian asked.
Selene slowly turned toward him. "Yes."
"You said he spoke through feelings before."
"He has never spoken directly to us before."
Victor's eyes narrowed. "Then something has changed."
