Chapter 49 Beneath The Ash Moon

• The night fell heavier than usual. Not with the weight of darkness, but with the press of what was coming. Elira stood at the outer edge of the city walls, wind pulling at her cloak, stars bruised behind a veil of smoke curling up from distant fires. Kael hadn’t said a word since they left the council chamber—just walked beside her, his silence louder than any order.
• She glanced at him now, the moonlight tracing sharp lines over his face. He looked tired. Not in body. In soul.
• “They won’t wait much longer,” she said, her voice low.