Phaeryl was not too proud to admit she had gotten a little used to Carlisle. The manor had settled into its evening quiet by the time they returned from the market.
She was awed by how quick Zayan had taken the three bodies and the situation in hand with the efficiency of someone who had dealt with worse and had a system for it. Mira had disappeared with him shortly after, leaving her and Xhanes to find their own way back to the room with the particular silence of two people who had been through something and were still sorting out where to put it.
Phaeryl sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off her boots.
Xhanes stood by the window, staring into the open. His default position. She was used to thinking of that specific rectangle of evening light, the estate grounds spread out below a
