The Tate Estate at night looked like a kingdom carved from moonlight.
At least, this new estate looked that way.
As the carriage rolled past the final bend of the forest road, a soft gasp rippled through the women inside.
What spread before them was a sight none of them, even those who had lived here, could have imagined.
Lanterns of warm amber light lined every pathway, burning atop carved stone pillars shaped like coiling serpents and winged beasts.
Gentle soul-flames hovered above rooftops, illuminating the entire settlement with a serene, otherworldly glow.
And the houses…
Ngozi pressed a hand to her chest.
Caren leaned forward, eyes wide.
And Penny's jaw dropped outright.
Once upon a time, these homes had been crooked, cracked, half-sunken into the earth, with rotting timbers, broken roofs, muddy paths, and of course, hungry, hollow-eyed people.
But now—
The streets were paved with smooth stone.
