Quinlan stepped out of the [Warp Gate] and onto the high terrace of Luminareth's palace with an elf under each arm and the deep forest's traces still clinging to all three of them.
The capital met them with its best hour. The sun was going down somewhere beyond the canopy, and its light came in low and sideways, strained through a million leaves until the whole city ran amber and rose.
Walkways of living wood glowed like banked coals, the great trunks wore the evening on their western faces, and far below, in the blue shadows between the roots, the first lantern-buds were waking one by one.
"Sweet Goddess's Lacy Panties~" Sera arched against his arm and drank the view down. "Fine, I'll say it. The palace evenings are almost as good as our home's."
"It's beautiful, but nothing beats a sunset happening from under Rosie's tree," Kaelira said.
"Exactly!" Sera nodded, joyous.
Somewhere behind them, a tray nearly died.
