"He comes here when he wants silence." Adele tilted her head slightly while observing the paper again. "Unfortunately for him, I was here first."

Aire snorted softly before she could stop herself.

Adele’s eyes flicked toward her briefly.

Aire hated how awkward this felt. She had faced prophecy, near execution, and the dungeon.

Yet somehow sitting alone with Adele felt unusually stressful.

Aire crossed her arms slowly. Mabel had told her something concerning about Adele after dinner four days ago, and she decided to bring it up. "Mabel said you visited an evil seer once."

Adele’s charcoal stopped moving. The room turned quieted. Then she resumed sketching again like nothing happened.

"Mabel talks too much." She tut.

"So it’s true?"

Adele shrugged lightly. "That depends."

Aire lifted her brows. "On what?"

"On whether you believe all seers are evil."

Aire frowned slightly.

Adele leaned back slightly in her chair finally. "The man lived alone in dead mountains surrounded by bones and curses," she said calmly. "So yes. Most people would probably call him evil."

"He’s a wizard." Aire stared at her harder now. "Why did you go?"

Adele’s gaze lowered back toward her sketch. "For answers." She gave her a simple reply.

"What kind of answers?" Aire pryed.

Adele frowned softly, but she replied. "The expensive kind."

Aire frowned deeper. ’That isn’t a respond to what I had asked."

Adele gave her a cold side eye. She took in a dramatic exhusted breath, and replied. "You ask questions constantly."

Aire rubbed her knuckles together, to keeo her hand busy. "That’s because nobody tells me anything."

Adele’s mouth curved faintly. "That part is true." She mocked.

Aire narrowed her eyes slightly. Adele’s tone irritated her. She sounded too sure of herself. "You know, people would probably like you more if you sounded less... like you all the time."

Adele looked genuinely unimpressed. "I do not particularly care."

"Yes, I noticed."

Adele returned calmly to sketching again.

Aire watched her for a moment before speaking again.

"Did the seer tell you something bad?" she began again, this time genuinely curious to know.

Adele’s expression remained unreadable. "Seers rarely survive by delivering comforting news."

Aire hated how mysterious that sounded. She moved a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You could answer like a normal person for once."

"You could stop speaking emotionally for once." Adele threw back at her.

Aire looked offended immediately. Her shoulders lifted, and she became defensive. "I do not speak emotionally."

Adele raised one brow slowly, questioning her.

Aire paused. Her shoulder relaxed slowly.

Adele’s attention shifted fully toward her now. She studied Aire, and then, parted her lips to soeak again. "For someone involved in prophecy, you trust too easily."

Aire blinked slightly.

"What?"

"You heard rumors about me visiting a seer and immediately came asking questions directly."

"Should I not have?"

"No."

Aire frowned.

Adele rested the charcoal down finally.

"You can’t really trust anyone," she said calmly. "You just have to figure out who you distrust the least."

The words settled strangely inside the room.

Aire looked at her carefully now.

For the first time since entering, Adele actually seemed serious. She did not look mocking, or arrogant.

Adele picked up another charcoal piece.

Aire stared at her. Somehow, she felt lighter soeaking to Adele, even if she infuriated her with arrogance. "That’s an awful way to live." She said softly.

Adele shrugged. "It’s an effective one." She co tinhed sketching again.

Aire leaned back against the couch slowly. "You really don’t like people."

"I like useful people." Adele replied with a matter of fact tone.

"That sounds villainous." Aire advised, as she snorted again despite herself.

Adele looked almost annoyed by the sound. "You laugh more now?" she locked again.

Aire blinked slightly at the observation. "What?"

"You used to look frightened constantly."

Aire stared at her suspiciously now. "Are you complimenting me?"

She chuckled. "Don’t ruin the moment."

Aire rolled her eyes immediately.

Adele ignored that.

The rain outside intensified slightly.

Aire studied her quietly for another moment, and decided to keep the conversation going. "Why did you tell me Nate would be yours?"

Adele finally looked up fully.

The room became quieter somehow.

Aire held her gaze this time.

Adele leaned back slowly in her chair. "Because at the time," she answered calmly, "I believed he should have been."

Aire swallowed once.

There was no jealousy in Adele’s tone. That was odd.

"And now?"

Adele looked at her for a long second. "Now I think he would burn kingdoms for you. He’s not even my mate. Just a political pawn for my father."

Aire’s breath caught faintly.

Adele looked disgustingly calm while saying it too.

Aire looked away immediately toward the window. Aire hated how her face warmed up at the thought of Nate.

"How unfortunate," Adele murmured dryly when she noticed the heat on Aire’s cheeks.

Aire snapped her head back toward her. "Excuse me?"

"You’re blushing."

"I am not."

"Okay." She agreed dryly.

Aire blinked, and then, she tried to defend herself. "I literally survived execution threats. Why would that embarrass me?"

Aire looked deeply offended.

Adele said nothing. She ignored her completely.

Aire groaned softly.

How did people survive conversations with this woman daily? No wonder Alpha Blackfen constantly looked exhausted.

Adele resumed sketching again afterward. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The conversation died for a while and Aire suddenly narrowed her eyes toward the paper.

"Wait." She called Adele’s attention.

Adele didn’t look up. "What?" she snapped lowly.

"That’s not a wolf."

"It is." Adele disagreed.

"It has horns."

Adele looked unimpressed again. "It’s a fae wolf."

Aire raised both brows in question. "That is not a real thing."

Adele slowly lifted her gaze. "With your current life, are you truly still saying the words ’not a real thing’ confidently?" she asked dryly.

Aire opened her mouth to speak. Then, she paused, and closed it again.

Adele returned to drawing victoriously.

Aire glared at her.

"You know what? I liked you better when we never spoke."

Adele touched the bridge of her nose, like Aire was a toddler she didn’t want to be around. "That feeling is mutual."

Aire stood immediately. "I’m leaving before I say something violent."

"Reasonable."

Aire narrowed her eyes. "You are actually insane."

Adele tilted her head lightly.

Aire turned sharply toward the doors afterward.

Halfway there, Adele suddenly spoke again. "Aire."

Aire stopped reluctantly. She looked back.

Adele’s expression had turned serious again.

"When things become dangerous..." she said quietly, "stop trying to save everyone."

Aire frowned faintly. She couldn’t guess what that meant.

Aire rolled her eyes so hard it physically hurt. She yanked the doors open before storming out.

"That insufferable witch," she muttered beneath her breath, as she closed the doors behind her.