ARIA
Kael growled behind me. The sound was low and sharp.
“What the f**k did he mean by that?”
“No idea,” I said. “Guess you’ll have to follow me and find out.”
Ashencoil Valley was colder and drier than the rest of Veilshade Peak. The air felt thinner up here, sharper in the lungs. This part of the High Wilds held the peak itself. It should have felt rough and empty.
It didn’t.
The place was built up along the mountainside. Stone buildings rose straight out of the rock, tall and narrow, with arches and dark windows. They looked old, almost medieval. Not fragile. Just quiet and steady. Smoke drifted from chimneys. Lanterns hung over walkways carved into the cliff.
Several creeks ran through the property, cutting thin silver lines through the stone before meeting at the edge in a wi
