Faye's POV
Abel's warning still echoed through my mind like a death knell, each word sharp enough to cut. Stay close to Hardy or die. The simplicity of it made my skin crawl.
Every shadow that danced at the corner of my vision felt like a predator waiting to pounce. Every moment of quiet carried the promise of violence. I wondered if this constant fear would ever fade, if someday I might walk without expecting a knife between my shoulder blades.
The carriage wheels ground against stone as we approached the North's gates. Through the gap in the heavy curtains, I glimpsed the massive iron barriers rising like ancient guardians, their surfaces scarred by countless battles and winters. Wood clung to every bar, making them gleam like teeth in a giant's mouth.
Soldiers lined both sides of our path, their dark armor catching what little light filtered through the gray sky. Even hidden inside the carriage, I felt their eyes tracking our movement, boring through wood and metal to find me.
