[POV: Thalos]
Thalos had seen many things in his long life—wars, betrayals, miracles—but he had never seen a woman look like this and live.
Solenne was slumped against him, pale with sweat-slicked skin and glassy eyes. Her breaths came in shallow waves, and her hands trembled as she pressed a wet cloth to her face. To a mortal, it probably looked like she was on the brink of death—and well, maybe she was.
Her scent enveloped him, fogging his senses. It was overwhelming enough on its own, but something about the familiarity of it was disorienting. He didn't have time to dwell on it; he needed to get her out of Calvarad and to the Citadel as fast as possible.
"I know you're scared," Thalos said as they approached the city's outskirts. "But this isn't going to stop until you're back in the wolflands… with Ruvan. So, you'll have to bear it for at least an entire night."
