Chapter 55
Rafael cut through the corridors with urgency,
Where would Alma be he wondered.
Then he remembered...training with Julian. Maybe she was still there
He turned stopping only once to grab the sleeve of a passing guard.
"Do you know where The witch is," he said, voice clipped. "Where is Alma?"
The guard startled, then gestured quickly. "i saw her with your...um...going to the garden, Alpha. With—"
Raphael was already moving again before the sentence finished.
The gardens lay bathed in morning light, dew still clinging to leaves and petals.
Normally, the place grounded him. Normally, he liked how the earth smelled here.
Today, it barely registered.
He spotted them immediately.
Alma sat on the edge of a stone bench, posture relaxed but eyes sharp, watching
Julian with careful attention. Julian stood a few paces away, hands hovering uncertainly at his sides, as if unsure what to do.
