"Bring her in," Mira said. "Slowly. Weapons drawn until we know who we're dealing with."
Ariana followed close behind as they made their way to the front gate, the young guard practically jogging to keep pace. The stronghold felt eerily quiet with Lucien and most of the strike team gone, torchlight throwing long shadows against the stone walls.
The woman waiting at the gate was older, silver haired, dressed in traveling clothes stained with mud and something darker. Her eyes flicked over the assembled guards with the calm of someone used to being surrounded by armed wolves.
"You're Blackthorn's second," she said to Mira, ignoring the drawn blades entirely. "Good. That saves time."
"Name," Mira said.
"Renata Voss."
Ariana's stomach dropped. "Voss. Like Selene."
"Her aunt," Renata con
