Allies

I could barely move for the next three days. Ash stayed by my side whenever he could, but he was mostly too occupied with the war that was bound to begin. Nevertheless, I wasn't left alone, not even for a minute. Most of the time, it was Amanda who took care of me, but Hunter appeared often, asking if I needed company or any kind of assistance. They all turned out to be quite overprotective, sometimes treating me as if I had broken all the bones in my body and couldn't lift a finger. I cursed them a lot, but having too much of their attention was far better than being left alone.

Once I could finally walk on my own, I could admire the beauty of Ash's secretly hidden grounds. The estate had been built high in the Spes Mountains and was surrounded by the Golden Forest. The name of the forest was quite literal since all the trees had shimmering yellow-golden leaves. Ash's property spread across several acres of land, including a large clearing in the middle of the forest—the place where