Outside the spire, Jaxon and Sienna finally stood alone under the old silverwood tree that overlooked the valley. This was their first quiet moment since the ceremony.
The air smelled of recent rain. A sharp scent of burned magic also hung there.
"We should be celebrating, or recovering, or... something normal," Sienna said as she leaned against the tree with her eyes half-closed.
Jaxon gave a dry laugh. His jaw was tight from hours of holding back his feelings. "The wolves of the past have never let us be normal."
"I keep thinking of your mother," she said softly. "How far she was willing to go. And how close we came to being tools in her plan."
Jaxon did not answer right away. He watched the edge of the horizon as if trying to see beyond the storm he knew was fast approaching.
