But the thought dissolved beneath the weight of grief and fear and the primal, animal need to be safe. The goblin attack had shattered something in both sisters — the illusion that their father's wealth and walls and guards could protect them. The world was larger and darker and more full of teeth than they had imagined. And in that darkness, a lord had appeared — calm, capable, holding a weapon they did not understand, offering shelter.
Lira crawled to her sister. They held each other — Sera's torn dress forgotten, Lira's tears soaking into the dark wool, the two of them huddled on the floor of a house that was no longer safe, in a world that was no longer kind.
