Shadewood We are in the war.

Riley would have enjoyed a ribald joke or two — their playful banter always brought a smile to his face. Their love was so pure — so saccharine and dripping — that sometimes he couldn’t believe it was really him living it.

As they walked towards the water, Masque spoke of a secluded waterway that opened into the mouth of a frothing waterfall. Riley could picture it in his head; a misty forest that opened way to a gulch, where water poured down in galloping white rivulets.

Was this before or after you were attacked? He mused, nibbling the edge of her cheek as they grew closer to the water’s edge. Maybe she didn’t want others knowing about that beautiful spot. That had to be the reason, right? It still blew his mind that anyone would attack without provocation — look at what that had cost her, too.