Sera's POV
The warmth of the hall drains out of the room the moment the scout finishes speaking, and I feel Dax's whole body go rigid beside me, some old instinct already calculating risk before either of us has said a single word about what comes next.
"We go," I say.
"Sera—"
"I know what you're going to say." I turn to face him fully, steady despite the fear already gathering low in my chest. "That it's dangerous. That it's Ashveil territory, that Mira's loyalists have already shown they're willing to use force against people they consider inconvenient. I know all of that, Dax. I'm asking you to help me anyway."
"Why," he says, and it isn't dismissive, it's genuine, the question of a man who needs to understand the shape of what he's about to risk before he agrees to risk it. "After
