"There is no sign of the Paler," Louis announced.
Gasps resonated through those unaware of this, and whispers flowed through the hall.
"Not even ashes," Louis added when Jael didn't respond.
Jael tore his gaze away from Louis. "Are you sure you weren't hallucinating about the Paler, and it could just be a burnt tree?" Jael asked mockingly.
Instead of getting angry, Louis simply said, "You might be right, Sire, but at least that would have been there when we arrived. There was nothing, not even the burnt patch on the ground. It was like it was never there to begin with."
Louis' response prompted the vampires who had accompanied him outside to nod and whisper in agreement, and all their attention turned to Jael as they waited for his response. Louis knew Jael wanted nothing more than to never have to deal with this issue anymore, but he had no intention of letting it go, even if all he would ever get was a partial agreement.
