Rax's hands shot up like Melistair had already drawn a weapon.
"Whoa, whoa, brother, no," he said quickly. "I had nothing to do with that. Nothing."
[Nine years of friendship,] Melistair thought. [And I can't tell if you're lying right now. Gods...]
"Someone told them where we lived," Melistair said lowly, eyes unblinking as he looked back at Rax. "Someone told them my family would be there."
"You think that was me?" Rax's eyes were wide. "Mel, everyone knows the Blackflames live with former Court Sorceress Folden. It's not exactly a state secret."
"Everyone?"
"You know how it is," Rax pressed on. "The former court sorceress, living with a nim family? People wouldn't shut up about it for months. Any idiot with a grudge could have found out."
[... Yeah, he has a point,] Melistair admitted to himself. [But how many 'people with grudges' have we created just by existing?]
