Chapter Eighteen
Some Things Never Change
Lodariel suppressed a shiver as she watched the city of Cinder from the grassland. She, Arinwyn, and Nasir had come a long way since the night they had met in the Shifting Sands. Arinwyn’s magic had allowed them to travel quickly at first. Their mounts had ridden a few inches off the ground on a fast-blowing wind. Once they had reached the Riverlands, Nasir had convinced Numarin’s daughter to rest and recover her powers. They had spent the rest of the journey in stealth, avoiding any of the roving groups of fanatics they spotted well in advance.
Lodariel understood the need to save themselves for whatever the Quenya had in store for them, but she chafed at leaving swarms of enemies at her back. Her injuries from the battle with the drakhalu were
