~LYRA'S POV~
The message came in on a Tuesday morning, which was the kind of specific ordinary detail that made things feel more real rather than less.
A woman at the Silverclaw border. Alone. Plain clothes. No attendants, no escort, no visible threat. The guards had almost turned her away before someone who'd been stationed in Shadowfang territory recognised the face and sent the message up instead of handling it at the gate.
The message was short: I'm not here to fight. I just want to talk.
I read it twice. Showed it to Ryland. He read it once, set it down, and said: "Don't."
I showed it to Eren. He read it, looked at me, and said: "I would recommend against it."
"I know," I said.
