THE DEPARTURE
Dawn came quietly.
No horns. No gathering of the pack. No formal announcement beneath the ridge.
Just a pale wash of silver light spreading over Nightfall’s territory as though the world had not changed at all.
But it had.
Elara stood at the edge of the inner courtyard, fingers curled around the stone railing worn smooth by years of hands that had leaned there before her. The air still carried the chill of night, sharp and clean in her lungs. Somewhere below, she could hear boots on gravel. Low voices. The subtle tension of men preparing for something they would not name out loud.
Kael did not like unnecessary witnesses when he left for something dangerous.
He preferred silence.
He preferred control.
She had known before he told her. The bond between them had felt di
