The morning sun was unrelenting, its golden rays mercilessly beating down upon the dirt path that wound through the trees like a forgotten vein. Evanna trudged ahead with two guards flanking her—West and Derek. She knew their names now. She'd spent the past few days she was there hearing them talk around the den, hearing their laughter, hearing their worries. They weren’t just guards anymore; they were people who had bled for Thorne, who had chosen her safety over their own. But that didn’t make the trek any easier.
Her skin glistened with sweat, strands of her long hair sticking to her temples and the nape of her neck. The hour-long journey from the den to her family's home left her breathless, legs aching. She had grown too used to the cool shade of the underground haven, forgetting jus
