[Draven’s POV]

I watch Evelyn as my guards escort her toward the compound. She doesn’t look back, doesn’t plead or stumble. Just walks with her spine straight despite everything that just happened.

That alone tells me more than her words ever could.

“She feels right,” Khaira rumbles through our bond. “Different from all the others who have crossed our borders. There is something about her… Keep her close, Draven.”

I stiffen at my dragon’s words. Khaira hasn’t shown this kind of interest in anyone for years. Never cared about strangers and for sure didn’t urge me to catch them.

The last time she urged me to trust someone…

No. I won’t think about that. Not now.

“You cannot ignore what I sense,” Khaira presses with unusual insistence. “Her scent alone tells me she is not ordinary. Something speaks to us both through this connection.”

“She’s a stranger who wandered into our territory with a convenient story. Nothing more than that.”

“You felt it too. When you caught her falling body. When she pressed against your chest. Your heart quickened in ways it has not for years. Do not deny what I witnessed with my own senses.”

“From exertion. Flying at that speed, catching falling prey mid-air—that takes considerable effort.”

“Lie to yourself if you must, Draven. But you cannot lie to me. We share too much for such deception. I felt your pulse race when her skin touched yours. And I know exactly what that means.”

I clench my jaw and force myself to look away from her retreating figure.

Khaira’s instincts have served us well in battle, but they’ve failed us before in matters of trust. The last time I listened to my dragon about a stranger, Lyanna paid the price. I won’t make that mistake again. Not ever.

“This one is different,” Khaira insists gently. “I would know if she carried darkness inside her heart. She does not. Her fear is genuine, not performed for our benefit.”

“You’ve been wrong before. We both have. And the cost was more than I can bear to pay twice.”

Silence stretches between us.

Even my dragon cannot argue with that.

I stride toward the main hall, my decision already made. Trust is a luxury I cannot afford—but information is something I can gather.

“Summon Commander Sera,” I command a passing servant. “Have her meet me in my study immediately. Tell her it’s urgent business.”

“At once, my lord.”

Sera arrives within minutes, as efficient as always. My most trusted observer stands before my desk, sharp eyes already assessing my mood with practiced precision.

“You saw the woman my guards brought in today?” I ask without preamble.

“The wanderer, yes. I watched from the eastern tower as the guards brought her through the gates. Quite an interesting catch you got, my lord.”

“Tell me what you observed.”

“Her bearing, mostly. She walked like someone used to attention—spine straight, chin level, measured steps. Rogues shuffle. They hunch. They try to disappear.” Sera shakes her head slowly. “This one walked through our settlement like she belonged in one. Just not ours.”

“What else?”

“She studied everything as they led her past. Not gawking like outsiders do—cataloging. Gates, guard rotations, building positions. I’ve seen that look before, my lord. On scouts memorizing enemy territory.”

“Anything else?”

“Her clothes. Travel-worn, yes, but the cut and stitching—that’s not roadside work. Someone with a coin paid for those garments. Someone from a proper house.”

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