ZURI

“Open the gates!”

The shout rang out ahead of us, followed by the groan of wood and the clang of heavy chains. The massive gates of Bjord slid apart, and our carriage rolled in. The horses snorted, their hooves thudding softly against the stone path.

Beside me, Denny looked like he was about to jump out of his skin. His hands were clasped too tightly on his knees, and he kept glancing around like someone expecting to be ambushed.

“You look like you’re walking into an execution, ...