It was the shadow of the man she saw first. Changing and flickering in the light from the fireplace and the lantern he held. He was enormous, head nearly bushing the generous ceiling. A heavy cloak and hood obscuring most of his features as he stared down at her. Maybe he wasn’t so tall, maybe it was just because she was sat upon the floor.
Sastra tried to spring to her feet, but found her legs betrayed her. Heart in her throat, she managed to scramble, unsteady to her knees.
‘My friend is pregnant,’ she gestured quickly to the bed where Ari lay, deep and peaceful within her sleep, she saw the movement of his hood, realising that he hadn’t spotted the second woman before he looked back down at her. She could just about make out his pale eyes beneath his hood, reflecting the firelight as
