Max took his cue from Edward's shift in focus and slid out of the hallway like smoke vanishing into shadow. He didn't run, but he moved with the effortless grace of someone well-versed in escaping trouble just before it truly began.
Gabriel didn't watch him go. His eyes remained fixed on the floor for a heartbeat longer, then lifted toward the retreating butler. Edward's words lingered behind like a slap, but Gabriel didn't flinch. Not outwardly.
He knew the palace, no, Damian would move quickly to place him in the Empress' seat. His position on the Emperor's right during the coming-of-age ball was the first obvious sign, followed by the omega nearly detonating due to ether overload, and now small annoying things are happening in the Empress's wing. A place he wasn't there yet.
The footman led him down the hall, Gabriel's boots nearly silent on the polished stone until another pair echoed nearby.
Voices drifted ahead, low and clipped. One Gabriel recognized instantly.
