AYASHA'S POV
The carriage door clicked shut behind me with the sound of a trap closing. I pressed my palms against the velvet seat, expecting to see Pavati beside me, but the space remained empty. Through the small window, I watched another carriage roll away into the evening shadows. She was in that one, probably wondering the same thing I was wondering.
Why separate us now?
The driver cracked his whip and we lurched forward. I gripped the edge of the seat to keep from sliding as we turned away from the familiar path to the main hall. The wheels rattled over cobblestones I didn't recognize, taking me somewhere I'd never been. Trees pressed close to the narrow road, their branches scraping against the carriage roof like skeletal fingers.
My stomach twisted. Everything about this felt wrong.
