Chapter 48: The Arrival
The dawn came not with light, but with a deep, resonant quiet. The world outside was hushed under a fresh fall of snow, but inside the cottage, a different silence reigned a focused, breath-held waiting. The gentle tightenings that had begun the previous evening had settled into a slow, inexorable rhythm, a tide Elara could no longer ignore.
She lay still in the pre-dawn grey, mapping the sensations. This was not the sharp, tearing magic of battle; this was an ancient, grounding power, moving through her like continents shifting. She turned her head on the pillow. Kaelen was already awake, had likely been awake for hours, lying perfectly still so as not to disturb her. His eyes were open, fixed on the ceiling, seeing every possible scenario, every contingency.
"It's time," she whispered.
