At that thought, the large city gate began to open and a surprisingly large contingent of soldiers marched through. She waited, wondering if anyone here would be desperate enough to make a break for it while the gates were open, but when the soldiers kept coming, twenty at least, she knew it would be suicide for anyone to try.

She paused at the pile of debris she was sorting, watching as the men came to a halt in a block formation outside the gates. Then she saw the man who followed them and felt as if a crater opened up inside her. He too wore blue, but his dress was much more sophisticated than a standard soldier’s uniform. His hair was near black, with natural curls, and she remembered that the last time she had seen him she had thought him charismatic. He looked far from that now, with his lip curled in distaste and his eyes narrowed dangerously. He was shorter, leaner than his brother, but that did not make him any less intimidating. Instead, he had the severe edge of a man looking to prove himself, and in his family, she did not want to know what that looked like.

Casimir Locke’s eyes scanned over the camp, and she hurriedly looked away when his gaze neared her, feeling her heart pound frantically in her chest. She did not know exactly what would happen if the Lockes found her, but she had read enough novels of political intrigue to know they likely would not be keen to have anyone around who might challenge their rule. If they found her, she was probably looking at imprisonment at best, a myriad of different deaths at worst.

By the time she chanced a look back in Casimir’s direction, he had moved, as had all the soldiers. For a moment, Aurora thought they were helping as they waded into the camp, picking up pieces of the wreckage, but then they started piling it up in an area where she now saw Casimir waited. She heard a commotion, and turned to see Nazara protesting as a soldier ripped down a tent that had been newly constructed. He shoved Nazara back, and she toppled onto a pile of debris. The soldier did not stop though, only gathering up his find and marching toward his leader like the rest. Soon the soldiers were swarming, taking all the pieces that were already set aside as salvageable.

Aurora did not fight when two men came toward her. She kept her head down and backed up, afraid one of them might recognize her, despite her efforts to disguise herself. They took her collection too, and while they did she felt a steady warmth at her back and a hand at her waist that she knew was Kiran.