As Valerie opened her eyes, the cold morning air brushed against her skin.The sun had not fully risen, but a faint light seeped through the thin fabric of the temporary tent.She turned to the other side of the bed, empty.
No Demian.
Even the black cloak he had wrapped around her the night before was gone.Only a light crease on the bedding remained, the quiet proof that he had risen long before dawn.
Valerie let out a soft breath, remembering Demian's last words before she drifted to sleep.
"We will prepare a counterattack. I will not let the enemy run wild again."
That voice still echoed in her mind, cold, certain, laced with fury.It told her clearly that Demian would not return until everything was over.
She pulled a thin cloth around her body and stepped quietly outside as the tent flap opened.
"Lady, you're awake?"Sera approached with her usual gentle smile."Would you like a bath and breakfast? Or… something else first?"
