They gathered at Hollow Ridge before dawn, the same grey half light that had opened this entire ordeal now stretching pale across the formation's dark stone slabs, and Marina stood beside Silvain with the twins held between them, both girls awake and solemn in a way that made Marina's chest ache with how quickly they had been forced to grow past the ordinary innocence of childhood in the span of two days.

She had argued against bringing them at first. Silvain had argued harder for it, reminding her of the promise they had made on the walk back from the council chamber, no more careful management, no more deciding for...