It was a good thing that there were no crowds gathered before the temple. In fact, it was a blessing far more welcome than Aria had anticipated.
The stone steps that usually thrummed with pilgrims' footsteps lay empty under the pale afternoon light, and the vast square before the temple gates stood deserted, the air heavy with stillness.
Even better, she had ensured they arrived in an unmarked carriage—one plain, nondescript, and stripped of any insignias or family crests. No one would be able to trace her presence back to her or identify her by association.
The gates themselves loomed ahead, their ironwork glowing faintly as though the metal had drunk in sunlight over centuries. The wide doors were unbarred and open, but no guards or supplicants hindered their way.
This unusual quiet allowed Aria and her companion to pass easily beneath the towering arches and into the inner court of the temple.
