*Calix*

I met them in the courtyard just as the sun exited from the dense clouds above. Warmth streamed across the manicured grass as my warriors gathered themselves in a circle around me. Lynn and Aldith stood hand in hand before me, faces determined.

I nodded toward them and waved a hand toward the center of the crowd, where Alex stepped out. The tall woman had tied her long blond hair up in a single braid that trailed down her back. Thick lines of charcoal lined ...