pte

L

ed in a place where the sun only touched stone through nar

It wasn't coming. Not yet. But she had ey

he hearth kept burning. Her guards rotated silently every six hours. The lock clicked at o

ot yet. Let them

oo fine for a prisoner. Too deliberate for coincidence. She knew what it mean

. He was tall, armor etched with the sigil of the Crimson Fang-h

ests your pres

an order either. S

single nod

She counted steps, turns, columns. Twice, she passed large wooden doors etched with s

A mark, just above the archway leading to

ines crossed by

gil of Vareth

se was here. Or had been. And they'd left

ed to stare at her-some with curiosity, others with open distrust. O

nk I'm d

faintly. Go

a domed ceiling, and shelves upon shelves of scrolls and books lined the circular r

beside it, arms fo

e felt him the moment she entered. T

," he sai

nce, the door shutting

, silence. Then

ck, eyes unreadable and moon-pale. He studied her without s

ling," he s

ere? So you can ch

eyes. "No. I wanted to as

"Other than

give yo

're done

rned t

rarely said her name-when he did, it sou

aw tight. "What do

ly. "You were royalty. Now you are... not

e because I still remember

t menacing-measured. "I f

f something there-pain, maybe. Or res

ething true. Not politics. Not

smell like blood and moonlight. I have d

he didn't know what she

opped himself, fingers curling into a fist. The mask slippe

ng in a cage,"

let

not what

lked to the door. It opened with a creak, revealing one of his councilors-Lor

n Kaelen. "We have a problem," he said. "The Vey

ove. But her h

"Tell her nothing. She

She brought gifts

ir eyes met, and for a breathless instant, something

at Elira. "

ithout ano

ar corner. She knelt, brushing her fingers along the crac

she found it: a torn piece of parchment, yellowed by age. No w

f watchers

the scrap

churned-Kaelen's words, the resistance sigil,

t have been invisible now,

so was he

. She was beginning to se

s let the