The commander met us in the courtyard, her helmet tucked under her arm. I shied back as she grimaced at me, hiding behind Jessia.
"And who's this skittish child?"
Jessia moved aside, patting me on the shoulder. I flinched.
"The Oracle of Eternity, or so she calls herself."
"I-It's Xiviyah," I stammered, not meeting her eyes.
"You don't have to be afraid of me. We're at peace, technically," she said. "Call me Nestra. I command the Imperial Guard."
I lowered my head. "Sorry. It's just…you remind me of another. He commanded the soldiers at the border."
"Conrad, was it? He was a formidable soldier, one whose loss we shall feel keenly for many years. Perhaps the closest in the kingdom to breaking through to the eighth level."
I touched my throat, feeling a whisper of cold steel. Conrad had been the one to capture me and hand me off to the Inquisitor. He'd beaten Fable, even given that my wolf was already exhausted.
