Sera's POV
The carriage rolled slowly down the quiet, cobblestone streets of the lower district. Gideon had already sent an advance detachment of pack guards, after he killed Lucian, to clear out the fortress and secure the surrounding sector, so the stone avenues were silent and bare—stripped of Lucian's ruthless enforcers, but left hollowed out in their wake.
When Lucian had violently taken over Whitepeak years ago, he had slaughtered or imprisoned anyone who dared to stand against him. The only people who had walked these streets freely were those who actively supported his cruelty or the helpless captives enslaved to serve them. When Gideon’s forces took the territory, his men had freed the remaining captives, routed Lucian's sympathizers, and relocated the survivors to safer, surro
