"What I choose to reveal to him, what role he plays in the games to come—none of it concerns you. Stay away from him. Stay away from me. Or the next time we meet, it will be the last conversation you ever have."
Draelus remained silent as they kept walking.
Magdalyna continued her measured pace through the city streets until she reached one of the ancient canals that divided the merchant quarter.
The water channel flowed with surprising clarity despite the urban setting, its current carrying the whispers of distant mountains and forgotten springs.
She paused at the stone embankment, her eyes focusing on something far beyond normal human vision.
Nearly a mile away, across the rolling countryside that separated the city from the noble estates, stood a rectangular structure of elegant proportions—the Arkwright chateau, its white walls gleaming in the afternoon sun.
"Such a lovely view," he said, his gaze following hers toward the distant chateau.
"And such interesting residents."
