Not far away, the gates of the Royal Institution loomed ahead, gilded in shimmering gold and white stone that radiated an ethereal brilliance under the bright light of the early morning.
Aeric reined Sylver through the gates, his eyes narrowing with a sense of readiness as he took in the imposing structure before him. Today wasn't going to be anything like his first day here.
He might have been naive on that first day, but nothing of sorts, no mistakes made then was going to be repeated today.
"Well," he murmured, his voice laced with dry amusement. "Here it is."
Delva pulled her horse alongside Sylver and glanced up at the grand building. "Have you ever been here before?" Aeric asked, his tone casual but curious.
"In the ways that count for people like us," Delva said, brushing a strand of red hair from her face.
Aeric looked at her. "What does that mean?"
