The castle disappears behind us as Erikson drives through the winding roads.

I lean against the window, my reflection ghosting across the glass. Lucas's words still echo in my head---the apology, the blessing, the sudden shift from enemy to... what? Ally? It doesn't feel real.

Aaron sits beside me, silent. His presence fills the space between us like a living thing, warm and suffocating all at once. I catch his scent---pine and something darker, something that makes Istha stir restlessly ...