ASHER
I rode alone through the frozen northern woods, the wind biting through my coat like it wanted to flay me open. My thoughts churned in sync with the storm that brewed in the distance.
Each step my horse took brought me closer to the watchtower…closer to Beta.
My brother.
My betrayer.
The man who once swore to protect my daughter, now the reason she lay dying.
When I reached the clearing, the sky was bruised with approaching dusk. T
he old stone watchtower rose like a broken tooth from the earth. My horse pawed nervously as I dismounted. I could feel him before I saw him..Beta.
Cloaked in black, standing alone at the edge of the tower's base like a shadow come to life.
His head turned at the sound of my boots crunching through frost. The hood fell back.
His face was unreadable.
But his eyes… they were hollow.
"You came alone," he said.
"I needed answers," I replied, fists clenched at my sides. "You owe me that."
