'What?!'
The tension in the room shifted, the heavy atmosphere Embrez had been weaving suddenly punctured by his sharp, mocking laugh. Salviana's frustration flared; she was tired of the riddles, tired of the metaphors that made her feel like a spectator in her own life.
"You're a difficult man, Embrez," she muttered, crossing her arms.
Embrez didn't deny it. He simply adjusted the cuff of his glove, his eyes returning to that unreadable, porcelain-smooth calm. "And you're a curious woman. A dangerous trait in this castle, but perhaps the only one that will keep you interesting to a man like my brother."
He began to move toward the door, his presence receding like a tide, leaving the room feeling suddenly cold. He stopped with his hand on the brass handle, not looking back.
