ELOWEN
That night, Fao told me about the scouts.
We were in bed, his body curved around mine, his hand resting on my thigh near the healing wound. It had become our ritual — debriefing in the dark, sharing what we'd learned, trying to make sense of it all together.
"Three times this week," he said quietly. "Testing our borders. Looking for weaknesses."
"What does Corvin think?"
"Corvin thinks they're probing, not preparing. That an actual attack is still weeks away, maybe months." He was quiet for a moment. "Jasper thinks Corvin is wrong. That we should strike first."
"And what do you think?"
"I think Jasper is young and angry and tired of waiting. But I also think Corvin might be too cautious." His arm tightened around me. "I think House Varen is planning something, and I don't kno
