Senna
The gate made a quiet, old sound when it opened. That was the first thing.
I walked through the big gates behind Caius. My hands felt cold, even though the sun was warm on my skin. This was the Ironblood compound. Just like he said. I looked hard at everything, like I always do. It’s how I work. It’s how I keep things straight in my head. The buildings were made of rough-cut stone, solid and old. Smoke curled from a few chimneys. It smelled like woodsmoke and something else... something wild and green, like deep forest. My eyes scanned every corner.
“This way,” Caius said, his voice low. He didn't look back at me, just kept walking with big, long steps.
We went to a building on the edge of the main yard. It wasn’t fancy, but it looked strong. Inside, it was quiet. “This is our
