CHAPTER 32: THE UNWRITTEN PAGE
I rode back through the valley gates at mid‑afternoon, the sun warm and golden on my shoulders and the viper‑and‑compass patch still tucked safe in my inner pocket, pressed close over my heart like a promise. Kael was waiting by the front porch, not pacing or checking his watch every minute, just leaning against the weathered cedar post with two chipped mugs of spiced cider in his hands — but the way he straightened the moment he heard my engine cut through the quiet told me he’d been watching the north road for hours, scanning every bend for my dust cloud.
“Safe home,” he said quietly, pulling me close for a long, steady moment before handing me a drink, his voice thick with quiet relief. “That’s all that ever matters. But the things you found out there, t
