The detection working Ronan had found, refined over three frantic days by Liora and her most capable scholars, was tested for the first time on the fourth night — and proved its worth almost immediately. No one in the fortress had truly expected the strike to come so soon, and the speed of the response that followed surprised even Jasmine, who had spent every waking hour since Ronan's discovery bracing for exactly this moment.

A subtle, telltale shimmer rippled across the fortress's eastern wall just past midnight, invisible to the naked eye but unmistakable to the modified wards now watching for exactly that kind of displacement. Liora's guard captain sounded...