The abandoned farmhouse sat three days south of Adaranthe, half-hidden by overgrown fields and skeletal trees. Its roof sagged in places, and the windows were dark gaps that stared out at nothing.
Gilbert kicked in the door and wood splintered.
"Home," he said flatly.
They carried Gabriel inside. His limbs still wouldn't cooperate. The sedative clung to his system like fog. He could move his fingers and turn his head, but standing remained beyond him. His legs felt disconnected.
Tess and Adan lowered him onto old straw in what had once been a common room, and dust swirled in the afternoon light.
Mera checked his pupils. "Still dilated. He'll need hours yet."
"How many?" Tess asked, her voice hard.
"Six, maybe eight." Mera pulled back, her expression clinical. "The sedative was meant to keep him under for the entire journey. His body needs time."
Gabriel tried to speak, but his tongue felt too thick. The sound that emerged was more grunt than word.
