Rowan paused. "You don't even know where we're going."
"I know enough. You said it before...this Oracle, she can unlock what was sealed in me. If I don't remember what's inside that tapestry, we're wasting time."
Lucien finally looked at her. "The path through the Whispering Pines is treacherous. You could freeze. You could drown. You could be torn apart by things even I wouldn't name out loud."
She met his stare. "And staying here means waiting for death at our doorstep. So choose."
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then Lucien exhaled, a slow, resigned breath. "We leave at dusk."
Rowan arched a brow. "That fast?"
Lucien nodded. "We don't have time for ceremony. Pack light. Only what we can carry."
Rowan clicked his tongue. "This is madness." Lucien smirked. "Good. Madness is harder to predict."
Later That Evening, In the Attic Chambers
