"Whatever came for you tonight will not be the last thing that comes for you. Men like my husband, like General Remin — they have seen enough of the world's darker corners to be useful allies when darker things start arriving at your door. It would serve you well to let them."
She held his gaze a moment longer, then turned, and the three of them — Remin, Akopa, and Verawati — began walking back toward the courtyard entrance together, each of them casting one final glance back at Jolthar and the crater behind him before passing through the gates and disappearing into the capital night.
