CHAPTER 17: AFFAIRS
“Have you found any trace of where she could have been held captive?”
Theo’s voice carried down the wind-bitten ridge, sharp and cold as the steel he wore.
He stood before a group of weary warriors, the scent of blood, ash, and damp leaves clinging to the edges of the search party like fog. They had spent two days combing through the forest ruins and ravaged border paths.
A warrior stepped forward. “Not yet, Beta,” he answered. “But we’ve picked up traces of her scent near the southern perimeter. Tomorrow, my unit will sweep east.”
Theo nodded, offering a flat smile. “Well done. Keep me posted.”
He turned away swiftly, masking the gnawing pit in his gut with false purpose. They weren't supposed to care this much. They weren’t supposed to search so hard.
They were
