*Elva*

The day was dark, and the night had grown darker. Even the stars were dimmed by the shadows that had fallen over the land, which cried out with the ache of the hand clutched around its throat.

I sat by the window in the small sitting room just outside Dryden’s rooms. The fire, though lit, didn’t warm me, and I burrowed into my halo of blankets. I tried to enjoy the warmth while I had it, as I knew it wouldn’t last.

These blankets belonged to ...