Malrik POV
Leaving Dravina behind to head north felt like tearing a piece of myself away. I wanted nothing more than to have her at my side, but the risk was too high. With Cassian in the mix, I needed to untangle the situation before making any move. And we weren’t just traveling into uncertainty we were stepping straight into Quillan’s territory. That alone promised a storm.
Keeping Dravina safe meant distance, no matter how much it gutted me. At least Ysolde and Aveline would be with her, though that comfort was a thin one. I’d left Foster in charge as well, and he had my trust especially with Dashira lingering in the house like some watchful shadow. Tavian, however, was a gamble. He’d failed me once already, and while I was giving him another chance, my faith in him was hanging by a
