2
An hour before sunrise, shouts were called to the guards. Most of the torches had been doused since the eastern sky had begun to lighten. The portcullis was raised and three horses rode beneath as a raven flew over the parapets. Boys from the stable raced into the courtyard to take the reins of the horses. Weary, Darius dismounted, then reached up and lifted Sophia to the ground. Rhys and Kiera dismounted, their horses’ heads hanging low. Raven landed on the edge of the fountain, then shifted to her human form. She looked up when the door to the Great Hall banged open and Dane jogged down the steps.
He cast his gaze over Rhys, Kiera, Darius, and Sophia, then turned unerringly towards Raven. In a few strides, he was in front of her, his hands gripping her arms with gentleness despite th
