Serene closed her eyes and breathed deeply, pulling Kildare’s pillow to her nose. His scent was faint—only the faintest hint of wood smoke. 

She missed him. So much.

Then she sighed and tossed the pillow down. She'dspent all of her life hiding in shadows. Just for once, she’d love to be…what? Open and honest? Find friends? Meet the people Kildare loved and trusted as his family?

That was it. She wanted what he had—family. Loyalty.

She smirked. How did hope keep growing even after a lifetime of no light or warmth?

She dressed, pulling her dragonsbane leggings and cropped, sleeveless shirt on first, then the red underskirt, the long, straight-skirted dress, and the underbust corset. Serene looked in the mirror as she adjusted the garments, smoothing everything into place. She hated it. She much preferred the flow and ease of Do’or garments, or Alfaren. Of course, Kil hated the cold of Lerem, so she guessed they would both be glad to get out of the swampy country.

She paused in opening her makeup box, staring at her unity tattoo. Here in a few days, it would be six months since they'd made their vows to each other and received the tattoos, in a tiny, hidden wyvern colony in Teshinn...

"Will you trust me, Kil?"

"I already do."

But she'd doubted, and he'd seen that doubt. And he'd immediately dropped to his knees in front of her, bowed his head, and spoken the first words of the unity vows.

"Will you fly the drafts and soar the clouds with me always, until we sail over the edge of the world to the lands beyond?"

Serene swallowed the lump in her throat and returned to smoothing makeup over her wyvern stripes.

She wrapped her scarlet silk scarf—Kil’s latest gift to her—around her neck, then slipped on the tailored, tailed coat and buttoned it tightly, then threw her cloak on over the whole mess. 

She left the room, locking it tightly behind her, and started down the hallway. 

The door next to hers clicked open, and out of instinct Serene glanced over her shoulder. 

Eras. 

Her heart skipped, and Serene stared at the white haired Do’orite woman, breathing heavily. Eras stretched one arm above her head and leaned on the door frame. She looked Serene up and down and whistled mockingly. “Trying to look like a proper lady now?”

“You were the one who taught me to blend in,” Serene snapped. "What're you doing here?"

Eras shrugged one shoulder. "Just checking in. You've been gone for a while—Basalt was starting to get nervous." She straightened and shot Serene a grin. "I heard voices from your room last night. Sounded like you were enjoying yourself.”

Kil. Serene tamped down her spike of fear and gave Eras an annoyed glance. "You're spying on me again."

Eras laughed and stepped across the hallway, tapping Serene on the chin. "Basalt and I have invested too much in you to let you go that easily."

Don't flinch. Don't back away. "Both of you had better get used to the idea. I only have five years left before I can buy my way out of the contract."

"So you think." Eras smirked. "Basalt's thinking of raising the price."

Serene's eyes widened. "Again?" Rot it all. Her voice was too shaky. 

"Oh, chin up, my darling wyvern." Eras chucked her under the chin. "I said he's only thinking of it. Now, you'd best tell me what's going through your head right now, otherwise I might start thinking that you and lover boy have plans that don't include coming back to Do'or."

It felt like there was a stone in her gut, weighing her down, but Serene straightened her shoulders and faced Eras. "I wouldn't worry about him—he's just someone I met last night." She raised one hand in a half shrug. "Like you said, I may as well enjoy myself a little." Stars above, please don't ever let Kil hear me talking like this. "I have my eye on a nice emerald necklace. I'm just going to do reconnaissance now—would you care to join me?"

Eras's lips thinned into a smile. "Not now. I'd best get back to Basalt."

Serene nodded and turned, still feeling Eras's eyes on her. Halfway down the staircase, she stopped. "Eras?" she said over her shoulder.

"Yes, Serene?"

"You never told me why you were in Lerem."

Eras chuckled. "Just running an errand for Basalt."

Serene nodded and continued down the stairs. She pushed open the door that opened into the courtyard and forced herself to keep a steady pace across the swept, damp cobblestones and out the gate. Then she darted into a side street leaned against the side of a building, letting herself feel everything. The surprise, the terror. She rolled her shoulders forward and steadied her breathing, hoping it would calm her racing heart.

Eras had come so close to discovering Kil. The one secret that she'd managed to keep from her and Basalt.

Serene closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Kil. My love. We have to get away from them.