The joint watch settled into its new rhythm by the third night. Four from the temple and four from the northern house held the marker line in overlapping pairs. The road stayed quiet. No more ambushes. No fresh bodies.
The northern house sent a short rider at dusk with a sealed note that simply confirmed the outpost result and accepted the shared road arrangement without further conditions. External pressure eased enough that the temple could breathe.
Selene found Aiden in the upper corridor after the evening briefing. She did not speak at first. She only touched his wrist and nodded toward the narrow stair that led to the unused chambers above the eastern wing.
The rooms there had once housed visiting priests. Now they stood empty, the beds still made, the shutters latched against the wind. She chose the farthest one and locked the door behind them.
