The drums did not stop. A terrible reminder that the sun was slipping toward its demise, they pounded across the stronghold like a second heartbeat, each blow echoing through stone and marrow.

In their chamber, silence pressed down heavier than the noise outside. Because her hands needed something to do, Elaria perched on the side of the narrow bed with her healer's kit open in front of her, not because she would be permitted to use it in the circle. She sharpened blades, lined up herbs, and ...