CHAPTER 49:
Warmth wrapped around us the moment we stepped across the threshold—soft, golden, the scent of beeswax and cedar and something ancient, like rain on stone. The temple was larger inside than it had appeared from the frozen lake, its high vaulted ceiling supported by pillars carved with swirling runes that glowed with their own gentle light. Shelves lined every wall, stacked high with scrolls, leather-bound books, and artifacts wrapped in cloth. At the far end, a fire burned in a stone hearth, its smoke vanishing before it could touch the ceiling. It was a sanctuary, a library, a fortress all in one. And it had been waiting for us.
Elara pulled the heavy oak doors shut behind us, and the wind’s howl cut off instantly, as if it had never existed. She turned to us, brushing snow
