He had not been wandering blindly through Driochmor. Not even close. This had been his destination all along. But was she meant to come here with him, or had she stumbled into his plan, and he had no choice but to take her with him?
Suddenly, standing among the ruins of the forbidden land, Bria no longer knew whether she should fear Driochmor most… or the man beside her.
Chapter Seven
Deep in Driochmor
Land of Sorcery, Secrets, and Exile
Bria remained near the entrance of the ruined structure while Kaelan moved quietly through it, his broad shoulders nearly brushing the crumbling stone walls as he checked the shadowed corners and broken openings. The fading light followed him in pale fragments through the gaps in the roof, catching briefly in his dark hair before vanishing again beneath the growing gloom.
He moved as though he belonged there, another sign that Driochmor was not foreign to him.
The realization of what that could mean settled uneasily within her. Not because she sensed wickedness in him. That would have been easier.
She had comforted enough suffering souls to know darkness when she touched it. Rage, cruelty, greed, bitterness—such things left their mark upon people. Sometimes deeply enough that even a brief touch revealed more than words ever could.
Yet every time she touched Kaelan, she felt none of it. Strength and control dominated as did a calm so steady it had flowed through her and eased her fears before she even realized it had done so.
And beneath it all was something she still could not reach fully. Something that stirred whenever he touched her in return.
Kaelan crossed back toward her and set several dry branches in the small stone hearth built against one wall.
Outside, the forest had grown unnaturally still. Even the ravens no longer shifted in the trees. The silence pressed against the ruins so heavily that Bria found herself stepping farther inside without realizing she had done so.
Kaelan noticed immediately. He noticed everything.
The fire caught slowly, orange light flickering across the weathered stone and softening the ruin just enough to make it feel less abandoned. Shadows danced along carved markings nearly hidden beneath moss and soot, revealing fragments of symbols Bria did not recognize.
Her attention lingered on them.
Kaelan followed her gaze. “Best not to touch those.”
Bria looked quickly to him. “Why?”
His expression remained calm, though she sensed caution beneath it now. “Some things in Driochmor are better left sleeping.”
A faint chill slid through her. Not because of his words, but because he spoke as someone who knew.
Kaelan rose then and crossed toward a narrow opening where part of the wall had fallen away. He stood there briefly, looking out into the darkening forest beyond.
Bria studied him quietly while his attention remained elsewhere.
The firelight sharpened the hard lines of his face, though it also revealed traces of weariness he kept carefully hidden. He carried himself like a man accustomed to danger, yet there was restraint in him too, as though great effort held something powerful tightly leashed beneath the surface.
Her gaze lowered briefly to his shoulder… his wound.
He moved as though it no longer troubled him, though she knew well enough how deep it had been.
“Your wound. You should let me tend it,” she said gently.
Kaelan turned back toward her. “It heals.”
“Hopefully, it does, but you have not rested and the bandage hasn’t been changed. If you want it to heal properly, it should not be ignored.”
A faint shadow of amusement touched his dark eyes then, softening them in a way that unexpectedly unsettled her.
“You worry for me still.”
