While Lara busied herself helping Prince Alaric remove his damp outer cloak, a pair of resentful eyes narrowed from behind a carved pillar on the second-floor landing. Hidden in the shadows, Mira watched them with barely concealed suspicion, her fingers curled tightly around the edge of the marble column.
Then, with a sudden creak, two doors swung open at once. Bener and Asael stepped out from their rooms, drawn by the sound of movement.
Asael's eyes narrowed at the sight of Mira half-hidden in shadow. "Why are you skulking around like a thief?" he demanded, his voice low but sharp.
Startled, Mira gasped and took a hasty step back, nearly stumbling into Bener, who had emerged from the opposite room. She turned around quickly, her expression feigning innocence.
"Brothers," she said sweetly, clasping her hands before her chest, "I was only watching Sister Lara. Don't you think she's being... a bit too familiar with Prince Alaric?"
