Not far away, Cyruz crossed his arms tightly, watching the interaction with a frown on his face, clearly annoyed that Axelius was being noticed. A few of Cyruz's friends leaned toward him and whispered something that made him narrow his eyes and tighten his jaw, but he didn't respond—his glare was already saying enough.
Then, without warning, the crowd's murmurs slowly faded as a presence entered the space near the front table where the elders were seated.
Elder Mairead, the only female among the four, stood from her chair. She didn't speak, not yet, but she looked toward Axelius again—just like she did earlier during the ceremony—and this time, her stare lasted longer.
Axelius felt it again.
