The morning air still carried the freshness of the forest when Kael and Eva stopped outside the house, near the edge of the hill from where Veirona could be seen in the distance. The port city was already awake, the anchored ships gently swaying, but that scene seemed too distant to matter at that moment. There was a silent tension in the air, not heavy, but inevitable, like the instant before a blade is drawn.
Eva crossed her arms and glanced at him sideways, the wind playing with her light hair.
"I'll take you straight to the Ainsworth mansion," she said, in a practical tone, as if announcing a simple walk. "Then you'd better prepare for the supersonic jump."
Kael arched an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curving into a confident smile. He cracked his neck, rolled his shoulders once, as if preparing for a heavy workout, and took a deep breath.
