The night air was cool as Jaenor, Rena, and Baren made their way back through Drakenten's quiet streets toward the Arkwright estate. The alcohol had settled into a pleasant warmth, dulling the edges of reality without impairing function. Behind them, the lights of The Serpent's Rest still glowed, and somewhere in the town, Taeryn was enjoying his good fortune.
The estate gates were open when they arrived, torches burning in their sconces to light the way. Guards nodded respectfully as they passed—word had clearly spread that the young lord was out drinking with his companions, and they'd been instructed not to make a fuss about his return.
But as they crossed the main courtyard, approaching the house's entrance, Jaenor noticed something unusual.
Light spilled from the formal receiving room on the ground floor—a room that should have been dark at this hour. And through the windows, he could see figures moving inside.
"We have visitors," he observed quietly.
