CHAPTER 77 — THE RETURN OF CLARA

Third POV

The wind howled against the stone walls of Nightshade like a mourning spirit, restless and warning. Patrol guards shifted uneasily atop the battlements, weapons gripped tight, instincts prickling with a danger they couldn’t name yet… until they saw her.

A lone figure staggered through the snow.

A cloak torn. Knees scraped. Hair tangled and matted with frost. Her breath came in shallow clouds, each one weaker than the last.

“Open… open ...