Kira

We left before dawn on Saturday.

Not because we needed to, not for any operational reason, just because Dante had looked at the map the night before and said the drive was four hours and I had said I want to arrive before noon and neither of us had mentioned that we both just wanted to be gone from the palace while it was still dark, before anyone needed anything, before the day had a chance to become something we had to manage.

Lyra had been at the gate when we left, which she hadn't ...