Elsbeth.
The morning air in MoonHaven tasted like new bread, fresh stone dust, and the first warmth of spring. The scent caught on the breeze and lingered beneath the high fortress walls as Fen and I walked slowly through the outer gate. My hand was tucked in the crook of his elbow, his warmth pressed against mine—steady and grounding.
The sprinkler lines were fully installed now, glittering silver veins just beneath the cobblestones. The walls loomed clean and strong, their tops bristling with piping heads hidden in stone hollows, primed to douse the first lick of flame. A fortress and a trap all at once.
"I never thought I'd say this," Fen murmured beside me, his gaze tracking the rooftops bathed in gold, "but it's almost peaceful here."
"Don't jinx it," I said.
He smirked. "Come on. Look at this place. There are flower boxes. Children. Did you see that one boy pretending his stick was a war axe?"
"He had good form," I admitted, lips twitching. "I'm considering drafting him."
