JULIAN’S POV
The room smelled like sage, iron, and old smoke—Vivianne’s idea of comfort. She always said it cleared the air. I figured it just masked the scent of rot that clung to this place like a second skin.
Aiden stood near the window, staring out at the woods. He hadn’t said a word since we came in, but that was typical. He only spoke when he wanted to be heard. Otherwise, silence did the trick.
Vivianne was seated across from me, her long fingers tracing the rim of her tea cup. The fire in the hearth cracked behind her, casting flickering shadows across her face. For a moment, she looked soft. Almost human.
But I knew better.
“So,” she said finally, voice low and even, “we’ve confirmed the soil?”
I nodded once. “Magnetite. Straight from the northern ridge of Raven’s Peak. The
