Ethemon had mentioned before that Astarion possessed formidable stealth capabilities, and when he wanted to approach someone silently, very few people could hear his footsteps. Not even Ethemon.
Yet Ethemon did not judge his surroundings solely by footfalls; his senses became sharper in the dark. The airflow around him told him how tall a person was and how fast they were moving.
Irritated, Ethemon acted on pure reflex, spinning around and drawing his dagger to finish off the "enemy" who had appeared behind him. Only the unique scent belonging to Astarion made him halt just in time—the blade pressed against Astarion's neck, already drawing a faint bead of pain.
Chapter 38