( Third person pov )
Eliya followed Kael and the rest back to the fortress, her posture wary but her eyes sharp with curiosity. She'd heard enough scattered pieces of the war to know it was bad—worse than bad—but nothing quite prepared her for the weight in the air that clung to the fortress like damp fog. The charred edges of buildings, the scorched scent of spells long since spent, and the worn expressions on too-young faces—all told the tale she hadn't been present to witness.
But Kael had.
And somehow, she had become part of that story.
No one bared teeth. No one questioned her presence. Sera welcomed her. Corin cracked a grin and offered her a drink. Lucian simply nodded and, in a rare show of approval.
Lisa was shocked when she found out. "That bastard actually found a mate? And I wasn't there to witness their first interaction?"
Kael took the outburst like he always did—with a shrug, a smug smirk. "Not much to witness, save that she almost bit my head off."
