Dax's smile widened at that—lazy, unbothered, and far too entertained. The kind of smile that had launched wars and ended negotiations. He took another step down, just enough to be eye-level with Trevor, even though the marble stairs still gave him a slight height advantage.
"Return? But you've just arrived," he said, his voice silked with mischief. "Wouldn't that be rude, even for you?"
"Lucas, you can relax; he is just butthurt that he didn't have a chance to get to you." Trevor turned to Dax. "You should have been more polite with Serathine."
Dax let out a slow, incredulous laugh—low and rich, like someone truly savoring the absurdity of being called out in front of a crowd of soldiers, a Grand Duchess, and a very, very smug Trevor Fitzgeralt.
"Oh, I was polite," Dax drawled, hand resting lightly on the curve of the banister. "I just wasn't desperate. You, on the other hand—"