Three days after the declaration, Cord found Mira in the armory.
She was inventorying combat kit — not because anyone had asked her to, but because she had learned that when her mind was working through something complex, her hands needed something methodical to do. It was a habit she had developed in Ashveil, where thinking openly was a liability, and she had not yet unlearned it.
Cord appeared in the doorway with the specific quality of a man who had walked here with a purpose.
"Cole," he said.
"Cord." She kept her hands moving. "You have something to say."
He came inside and stood with his arms crossed, which was his version of settling in for a real conversation.
"I've been watching you for twenty-one days," he said.
"I know."
"I've been watching you specifically because Damien
