Hermi leaned low over Luca's neck, her fingers tangled in his brown mane to keep from sliding off. She looked over her shoulder, searching the shadows for any flash of pursuit.
Thankfully, there was no trace of galloping horses and no sign of Nero or Cassian chasing her with their inhuman speed. Her attention shifted back to the path ahead, urging Luca to a faster pace.
"Hopefully they are still keeping each other in good company," she mumbled to herself.
When night fell, the city surrounding the Black Fortress became a place of total darkness dotted only by the amber glow of burning sunstones. The people of this harsh land kept these round stones in heavy iron cages lined with thick glass and mesh. These stones were soaked in reservoirs of oil to keep the light burning, and the folk here called them 'sun lanterns'.
