Chapter 126 - Three Nights, A Heavy Heart

The weight of silence hung between us as our carriage rattled along the uneven roads leading away from Raven's Fane. Alaric sat across from me, his face drawn into a contemplative frown, his eyes occasionally meeting mine before darting away. I couldn't blame him – my own thoughts were a tempest of fear and uncertainty.

"You're safe now," Mariella whispered, squeezing my hand. The relief in her eyes was palpable. When we'd emerged from the underground chamber, she'd thrown her arms around me, tears streaming down her face. She'd been certain we were walking to our deaths.

Perhaps we still were – just on a longer road.

"Three nights," I murmured, watching the landscape blur past the window. Three nights to determine what sacrifice could possibly satisfy an ancient being powerful enough to bind two bloodlines for centuries.

Alaric's hand found mine in the dimness of the carriage. "Whatever happens, we face it together."