For several heartbeats, Lucien could only stare.
The young man standing in front of him looked almost exactly like Seran.
Not merely similar.
The shape of his face, the easy confidence in his eyes, even the slight curve at the corner of his mouth were familiar enough that Lucien's thoughts momentarily failed to catch up with what he was seeing.
The stranger, however, did not seem nearly as interested.
He glanced over his shoulder.
That was when Lucien noticed the luggage in his hand.
It was not much, but it looked hurriedly packed.
A cloth bag had been tied badly enough that one corner bulged open, while a smaller case was hooked beneath his arm as though he had grabbed whatever he could carry and left before taking time to arrange it properly.
Then another figure appeared behind him.
Lucien froze again.
Aurelia.
She looked younger than the woman he remembered, but there was no mistaking her face.
