Every instinct screamed at her to turn her beast aside, to vanish into the clouds, to flee from the eyes of one who had shattered stronger wills than hers.
But then, Anita did something wholly unexpected.
She smiled with a gentle nod.
Subtle.
Barely perceptible.
But enough.
Raelana blinked in disbelief, her hands tightening against the beast's feathers.
She hadn't met Anita in person or had an audience with her since her joining the Spire, and for a second she thought Anita would drag her down; instead, she just smiled at her.
Raelana's mind swirled with questions for a minute, but she shook her head and decided to quickly leave from here.
Whatever that smile meant, she shouldn't hover over them anymore.
Her beast leveled up, soaring with speed, and Raelana exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Her frown deepened, lines of thought cutting across her face.
