Gabriel didn't look back.
The silence behind him was sharp enough to sting. He could feel Anya's panic clinging to the air like perfume gone rancid—just as deliberate, just as unwanted.
Edward followed a step behind, his voice low with dry amusement. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"I don't have a good one," Gabriel muttered.
Edward stopped two steps short.
"You have five minutes," he said with a clipped but kind tone. "Use them to read the names. Don't improvise. Don't engage. Look... competent."
Gabriel raised a brow. "What's the Empire coming to when that's the highest expectation?"
Edward didn't smile. "Lower than it was yesterday."
