Lorien POV

He must have either picked up on the simmering irritation rolling off me or simply grown tired of me standing there like a storm cloud while he tried to work, because Auren finally exhaled a long, weary sigh. Leaning back in his chair, he looked up at me, one brow arched in silent question. I pressed my lips together, my foot tapping impatiently against the polished floor.

“Good morning, Lorien,” he said at last. The corner of his mouth twitched upward, like he found my ...