Valtira.
I pulled my cloak tighter around me as I stepped into the bustling market. The sun sat high and warm on my shoulders, but I refused to let it lull me. Zarek had let me go—more like released me—with the warning that I would return by evening.
I intended to honor that… even though a flicker of unrestrained freedom hummed inside me. Just a few hours. Just enough to breathe.
The air was thick with the scents of baked bread, spiced meats, and the sharper tang of herbs drying in the sun.
My boots brushed past crates and stalls as merchants called out their deals, but I tuned everything out except what I needed. Healing herbs. Fresh ones. Potent ones. Tomorrow was my first practical.
Moon Goddess help me.
My fingertips skimmed over leaves and petals, my mind repeating every techn
