No one would notice it but her—the increased tempo of Tiel's heartbeat, the sudden stillness of his muscles, and, when she looked up, the tension in his jaw.
She glanced at Avond, whose face was a mask of indifference, coldly examining Tiel's reaction as the two stood in silence after the fact.
If anyone ever said Avond loved his brother, Celeste couldn't see it.
There was a sense of viciousness about him when he said, "Well, you'd better check up on her because you can't check up on the one you have here," before putting out the fire of his cigarette in the ashtray.
Then he audibly mumbled, "The one you don't have." He brushed past them as he walked away, his hand cleverly slipping something into her purse.
Celeste felt her heart skip a beat. She knew what it was.
The phone.
"Tilly?" Celeste asked softly, more to check if Tiel noticed anything suspicious.
