Usually when Wren took them through the Shadows, they traveled so quickly Rowan could barely register the world shifting around them before they emerged at their destination. He expected the same thing to happen now, so he was surprised when the indistinct contours of the Shadows slowed and then stopped.
Wren stiffened as Rowan inhaled then blew the breath out through his lips, which were flush against the side of Wren's neck. He'd buried his face in Wren's skin as he usually did because the warm cinnamon scent always anchored him so he didn't get too dizzy from the speed of Wren's travels.
"Why did you stop?" Rowan tucked the envelope Ozul had given him into his vest pocket as he glanced at the amorphous shapes around him. They settled into place, stretching up into the muted shadow forms of the trees that made up his woods.
