Sonya and Akaza did not answer immediately.
Akaza studied Elara's staff, then the ice beneath her boots. Meanwhile, Sonya turned her blind eyes toward the woman, listening to her breathing and the faint scrape of her fingers against the dark shaft.
Neither found the carelessness suggested by her earlier posture.
Then Sonya frowned.
"Why can't I have the dog?"
Darius's left eye twitched.
Elara glanced at him before he could speak, and his boots remained where they were.
"This Honourable thought you would give him to me," Sonya continued, sounding mildly offended. "I already know how to handle him."
"Because she is weaker than he is," Simon replied indifferently.
Elara's fingers stopped moving for a moment and this time around, her left eye twitched.
"And if I am right, the more anger he feels toward an opponent, the stronger he becomes."
Sonya raised a brow and turned toward Darius.
