It was a place ofknowledge. Of order.
Varyth stepped inside and set Mireth down. She dashed back to my arms.
“Sit,” he said, as though it were a courtesy.
I didn’t.
He didn’t press, only sank into one of the armchairs with liquid grace, wings draping as he lounged.
The door opened again.
The woman who enteredcouldn’t have been more different from him.
Where Varyth wascold restraint, she was warmth contained.
She waspetite, her presencenot demanding, but steady, sure.There wasa confidence in the way she carried herself, in the way her gazeswept over me before settling on the children.
Her hair was styled in a long, pastel pink braid. A few loose strands framed a face that could have been crafted by compassion itself. The ease of her smile settled the worst of my fear before I could think better of it.
Every detail of her appearance, from the delicate embroidery at her neckline to the sway of her sky-blue dress, spoke of someone who valued the beauty of simplicity.
“You must be exhausted.” Her eyes, the pale green of olive blossoms, flicked between me and the little forms in my arms. “I can lay the boy down in a cot in the next room. And if your daughter would like, I can take her to wash up.”
My grip on Eryxtightened instinctively. Mireth looked up at me, blinking sleepily.
I hesitated. Just for a moment.
But my armsached from holding Eryx for so long, and Mireth’sclothes were stained with dirt, her face streaked from the long journey.
“Lira will care for the children. No harm will come to them.”There was no comfort in the way Varyth said it. Just fact.
“If you prefer to go with them, you can. We can speak later,”he added. “But within these walls, they are safe.”
I looked back at Lira. And exhaustion whispered that maybe,just this once, I could believe them.
Reluctantly, I nodded. Lira stepped forward withgentle movements and lifted Eryx from my arms. Mireth followed her. She paused only once at the door to glance back at me.
I forced a small smile. “I’ll be here, love.”
Shenodded and followed Lira out of the room. The door closed behind them, and I released a slow breath.
Varyth gestured again. “Sit.”
This time, I did.
I lowered myself into theplush chair across from him. The cushions sank beneath my weight. A sigh slipped past my lips before my mind could stop it.
Gods.
When was the last time I let myself rest? When something didn’t scrape or ache or press too hard against my skin?
He was watching me. For a moment, I let myself really look back. His face was… unnerving in its precision. A square jaw, sharp and elegant beneath skin that was pale as moonlight, smooth and unmarred. A straight, regal nose. His cheekbones were carved high and proud, shadowed just enough by the firelight to make him seem more statue than man.
He was clean-shaven, and not a single strand of ashen hair was out of place, swept back from his forehead in a style that felt deliberately effortless. He was beautiful in that dangerous way predators were beautiful. A thing crafted to captivate and kill.
“What is your name?” he asked.
“Isara.” I didn’t see the point in lying.
