"Captain?" the officer asked, voice tinged with confusion. "What the hell are you talking about? You're supposed to be in the war council!"
The captain scowled and reached over to cuff the armored soldier like he were a child. "Watch your language! There's a lady here."
My breath caught in my throat and a shiver ran down my tail. No, it couldn't be. But as the scarred man turned to me and offered a clumsy bow, apologizing for the rudeness of his men, I couldn't doubt further. Memories burst out of the cobwebs of my mind, rushing to fill me with an indescribable sense of hope.
As the soldier's eyes moved between me and the bowing captain, my tail flicked back and forth tentatively. My lips parted in a shallow breath, and I asked, not daring to believe, "J-Jackal?"
Jackal's head jerked up in surprise, an expression of delight spreading across his face. "Aye, lady. It's me."
