PlanDusk approached, and the moon rose above the horizon. It was time to go.
Even at night, Castulo was too busy for the streets to be abandoned, and I drew stares and whispers. But I had decided not to hide. There was no way I could cover my horns and pass for human, anyway.
Hayyan followed me through the slums and past the sprawling shops and factories to the city walls. They stood in awe of those walls, towering above them.
The walls had been built hundreds of years ago, back when the city was nothing but a few tradespeople, nobles, and a market. As former farmers moved in, Castulo grew in wealth, and the city expanded well beyond its walls. Now, they enclosed little more than the market and government buildings—including the jail.
The gate had a single guard watching the flow of tr
