Chapter 87

Ronan's POV

The watchman brought news of two riders moving north before the old ward registered them. One rode an Ashfall horse. The other, he said, wore a black coat much too large in the shoulders.

I thanked him and went inside. Grimm rose at once. He didn't need an echo to recognize Mara's coat; he had watched her steal it twice. I had imagined her coming. The reality made the refuge seem too small for my body.

I built up the fire. I set a second cup on the table and put it back in the cupboard. I opened the shutters to let the smoke out, then found myself checking the bolts on the outer door. Two had rusted into place. The third was loose enough to lift with one hand. I took it off entirely and laid it by the hearth.

“We can ask her to stay,” I told Grimm. “We can't build the answer into the house.”