Chapter 764 - Home by Shadows (1)

The wind lay low over the castle walls that night, sliding through gaps in the battlements like a thief who had forgotten what it wanted to steal. The air smelled faintly of wet earth and cold iron. From the treeline, the lamps along the outer ward looked like cautious eyes—hooded, tired, unwilling to draw too much attention. Each one cast a dim circle that stopped just before touching the next, leaving strips of shadow wide enough for anyone clever to pass unseen.