It had been two weeks since the mages arrived. There had been more expeditions since the first night, and Jael seemed a little more confident about them. But that wasn't the problem for Mauve—the problem was that Jael was leaving the castle in only a few days.
She didn't know how long he would be away, but given how swiftly he wanted to act, Mauve worried he might stay away for some time. That felt especially hard for her, with her baby due in less than two months.
It would be naïve to think the war could possibly be over by then. They had to do a thorough job—leaving even one Paler would guarantee that more would rise in its stead. Their best bet was to get rid of them completely.
"You aren't eating," Jael's voice broke through her thoughts.
Mauve forced a smile as she looked at him. He was sitting next to her and carefully placed his palm on her arm, lightly caressing her.
