By the time they reached the outer edge of the city, the Keep’s bells were ringing.
Not the steady rhythm of the watch, but the sharp, uneven peal that signaled a breach — or a death.
Elinora didn’t need to ask which one. Word of the guardians’ attack would have reached the Keep by now, twisted and colored by whichever side had told the story first.
The streets were mostly empty, the night’s chaos having driven the citizens indoors, but she could feel them watching from behind shuttered windows and half-closed doors.
Kaelen kept pace beside her, hood drawn low. Riven led from the front, his stride purposeful, his sword still at his side, unsheathed.
“We’re not going through the main gates,” Riven said over his shoulder. “Too many eyes.”
Kaelen’s mouth curved faintly. “You mean too ma
