Morning
R A I D E N
The sun had already climbed high enough to burn through the mist, but there was still no sign of her. Nothing. No trace. My jaw tightened in disbelief and anger. How was that possible? Every second that passed without news of Ayla felt like a knife twisting in my chest.
I could see Liora and the men returning from the perimeter patrol. Their movements were careful, calculated, but Ayla wasn’t with them. Not in sight. Not anywhere. My stomach churned with a mix of frustration and fear.
A knock echoed against the heavy door of my study.
“Enter,” I called, keeping my voice measured, though every muscle in my body wanted to explode.
The door opened slowly, and the Seer stepped in, bowing her head in the way that had always unsettled me, always careful, always precise,
