Chapter 81

• By the time Ariana returned to the fortress, dawn had given way to iron-colored clouds.
• The rain had stopped, but the scent of it still hung in the air—sharp, metallic, and tinged with ash. She crossed the outer courtyard without a word, her cloak clinging wet against her skin. The guards bowed but did not meet her eyes. Their silence was worse than whispers.
• Demion waited at the gate. He had been there since the first scout signaled her return.