Raine's POV

It was nearing dusk and the deep black of night would descend in another hour. I walked into the large seating room of our hotel suite. Our travel to Marku's territory had been uneventful. We had foregone the traditional luxury tour bus, preferring to travel in less conspicuous vehicles to avoid unwanted attention. Our hotel was still thirty miles from the gates of Marku's estate; however, the last thing we wanted was for a random Marku loyalist to recognize a royal procession. 

However, traveling in SUVs during daylight hours was a bit more complicated due to the risk of the sun charging us to a crisp. The back...