Alaric's eyebrow twitched at Isaac's last comment, his irritation only growing. "An exception, is it?" he muttered under his breath, barely audible, yet enough for Isaac to catch the drift. There was a competitive edge creeping into their usual banter, something unspoken that Alaric couldn't quite name but felt in the pit of his stomach.
Isaac who noticed the subtle shift in his friend's demeanor, chose to let it pass. "Well, she's certainly intriguing," he said thoughtfully, his eyes following Amaris as she disappeared around the corner. "There's more to her than meets the eye."
Alaric scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Intriguing is one way to put it. Reckless, insolent—those are others." His voice dripped with uncharacteristic frustration.
Isaac chuckled softly, shaking his
