The Shadow Den received us in silence.
No trumpets. No cheers. Only the quiet, disciplined movement of warriors opening the gates and stepping back to let us through. Nessa ran from the healer’s wing before we had fully dismounted, her bare feet slapping against stone, and she threw herself into her brother’s arms with a sound that broke something open in my chest.
Caleb watched without speaking. The boy—her brother—clung to her with both arms, burying his face in her shoulder. Nessa looked up at me over his head, her eyes red but clear, and mouthed two words I couldn’t hear but understood.
Thank you.
Caleb turned away before she could say more, giving them a privacy he never demanded for himself.
Kira approached with a scroll. Her face was carved in stone. “Every scout we sent to the
