ARIA
The smell of blood reached me before I ever saw him. It was thick and sharp, mixed with sweat and that dark, familiar musk that only belonged to Kael. It clung to the air behind me. I slowed my steps, then stopped altogether. There was no need to turn around. He would catch up. He always did.
“I sent Corvin to escort you,” Kael said once he reached me. There was a frown in his voice. “Why are you walking alone?”
“Walking clears my head,” I said. “And it’s not like I’m running late. Why were you fighting?”
“A clash near the Iron Boundary,” he replied. “Nothing Torin and his people couldn’t manage.”
“But you wanted to see it for yourself,” I said. I turned and started walking again, keeping my pace steady. He fell in beside me without effort. “Why do you even care? These wolves do
