{RIVEN'S POV}
The forest looked endless.
The trees thick as walls, the sky a dull smear of gray behind their branches. My horse's hooves made a soft, steady rhythm against the damp soil, the kind of sound that could almost lull you—if your mind wasn't tearing itself apart.
The compass sat in my palm, its faint, golden pulse flickering like a heartbeat. Aurora's heartbeat. I hadn't looked away from it since sunrise.
I couldn't.
Every time that light dimmed, even for a second, it felt like something in my chest stopped with it.
She's alive. That much I know.
But alive doesn't mean safe.
"Riven."
Kai's voice came from behind me, low and tired. "We've been at this for hours. The horses are wearing thin, and so are we."
Vivienne's voice followed, arching her back. "And my back feels like it's turning to stone."
Lukas rode up beside me, his reins loose in his hands. His expression was calm but firm. "We should stop here for the night. Eat, rest, then pick up at first light."
