Arthur made his way through the palace's eastern wing, where the guest chambers had been hastily converted into a recovery suite.
The corridors here carried a different energy—ancient and wild.
Two guards flanked the doors, but they stepped aside without question at Arthur's approach. His authority was absolute now, unquestioned after the events in the medical wing.
The chamber beyond was spacious, with high windows that let in streams of afternoon light. But it was the figure reclining on the oversized bed that commanded all attention.
Sera Nightwind was even more magnificent than his fragmented memories from the rescue had suggested. Her recovery had progressed remarkably—the gaunt, tortured woman from the Syndicate facility was gone, replaced by someone radiating ancient power despite her current vulnerability.
