Chapter 9

• I looked around to see aged stone walls and pillars covered in vines. An archway in the wall held a large closed gate. I inhaled slowly, trying to steady my nerves. The air was clean, with a sweet floral scent. Nowhere in the city smelled like this. I inhaled again.
• “It’s the lavender.”
• A dark-haired woman was walking toward me. She stopped, leaving at least ten feet between us. Her smile was sincere. She pointed to a garden in the center. “I love the smell of lavender.”