Lancet extended his hand toward the mountain and summoned Kestrel.
The air in front of him twisted as the twin snake dragons curled around each other before bursting into shards of emerald light. When the shards scattered into the wind, Kestrel Highcastle stood in the center.
Her emerald eyes briskly swept the landscape around her — she was always on alert. The mountain land stretched out in pointy stone and steep ridges, all cold light and distant storm.
Finally, her gaze moved to Lancet, who opened his arms a little as if presenting the whole place to her.
"Tada!" he said.
Her face remained perfectly flat. Then she looked back up at the mountain.
"This is the one you chose?" she asked.
"Yeah." Lancet nodded, then frowned at the way she was looking at it. "What's wrong? Don't tell me it's not tall enough."
Kestrel gave him a dry look so sharp it could have been a blade all by itself. "That is not what I was thinking."
"Oh?"
