Mark by Destiny.
he repeated, as if testing the word on his tongue.
But Liora… Liora stayed silent. Because freedom was a word she had heard before. A promise dangled like a carrot, only to be ripped away.
And yet… something in Rhydian’s voice, something in the way all four brothers stood there, untouchable and unyielding made her wonder if this time, it might be different.
That night, the captives were shown to quarters deeper within the fortress. Not cells, not pens, but rooms with straw beds, clean blankets, and water basins. A luxury compared to the slavers’ cart.