Noel PoV
We descended the mountain pass cautiously. The old trader path Amaya had mentioned was little more than a treacherous goat trail—narrow switchbacks carved into the cliff face, littered with loose scree and offering little room for error. The unicorns, for all their grace, picked their way with careful steps, their hooves sending small pebbles skittering into the chasm below.
The wagon groaned and swayed with every shift in the terrain. I kept a hand on a support beam, my gaze flickering between the treacherous path ahead and the vast expanse of sky above. I half-expected Sufiya and her forces to descend upon us like vultures, their silhouettes stark against the sun. But the sky remained empty, a vast, indifferent blue.
Raiki held his mama's hand. The kid had grown quiet. Was he scared of falling?
Amaya squeezed his hand and whispered something in his ear. The kid smiled and hummed a little tune. She always seemed to know the right thing to say to her son.
