Snow Moon City was a fortress of white stone and dark timber, built to withstand the eternal winter of the Northern Prefecture. It was a place of commerce and cultivation, where the air smelled of pine resin, roasting meat, and the crisp, metallic tang of high-grade snow. But for Ya Su, standing in the shadow of the city gates, it felt like a prison.
She and Lin Ruoli had arrived hours ahead of Alaric and his unwitting prize. They had used the portable teleportation anchors to bypass the winding mountain roads, cutting through space to arrive in the city center while Yun Lan was still navigating the winds on her flying sword.
Ya Su shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders. It wasn't the cold that chilled her; it was the woman standing next to her.
