He was slowly dragged back to reality by the scent of the roasting meat.
It was the scent of his courtyard on the Eternal Cloud Peak.
It was the scent of the only place he had ever felt at peace.
He slowly turned around.
Ji'an was sitting on a fallen log near the fire, her face illuminated by the warm, orange glow of the coals.
She looked exhausted.
There was a faint, purple bruise forming on her pale neck where Yanlie had grabbed her.
Wangchen's heart physically ached at the sight of the bruise.
He wanted to hunt the Beast Lord down and tear him limb from limb.
But as he looked at Ji'an, she offered him a small, tired, incredibly warm smile.
"You look like you could use a snack, Blue," Ji'an said softly, her voice calm, devoid of the panic she had felt moments ago.
She picked up one of the heavy iron skewers.
The pork belly was perfectly roasted, the edges charred and crispy, the fat rendered to a melt-in-your-mouth consistency, dripping with the dark, sticky glaze.
