Bramwell's POV
The northern sanctum was a three-day ride.
We went in a small group: myself, Lenora, Daren, Lyssa, and two of Cassian's people who knew the northern hill roads. We left Ferren in Cassian's custody, working through his account with Vane Sorel, who had agreed — with the particular willingness of someone who has been waiting to be useful for a long time — to cross-reference his information against the second ledger.
The hill country in autumn was difficult terrain: the roads narrow, the weather unpredictable, the particular quality of an landscape that doesn't care whether you reach your destination.
On the second evening, camped in a forester's shelter half a day from the sanctum's marked location, Lenora and I sat outside while the others slept.
The sky was extraordinari
