The carriage Sora had brought was a sturdy, unadorned Northern vessel, built for endurance rather than the fragile vanity of the South. It stood waiting in the courtyard, a dark silhouette against the scorched marble of the estate. Sora sat atop the driver’s bench, her eyes scanning the tree line, while Kael stood by the door, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.
Fenris helped Rhiannon inside with a gentleness that felt at odds with the c*****e he had just unleashed. As she stepped into the cabin, the heavy woodland cloak he’d draped over her dragged against the floor, a weight that felt less like a burden and more like a shield.
The interior was warm, smelling of pine resin and old leather. As soon as Fenris climbed in and the carriage lurched into motion, the silence of the ni
