The heavy oak doors of the grand lodge didn’t just rattle; they practically groaned under the sudden, violent assault of fists. Bang! Bang! Bang! The frantic rhythm splintered the mid-afternoon quiet of the main hall, echoing sharply up into the vaulted timber rafters.
Elena was sitting by the grand stone hearth, a silver comb frozen in her copper hair when her eyes snapped toward the entryway, her lips tightening into a thin, venomous line of pure irritation.
"What in the world is she doing?" Elena hissed to herself, tossing the comb onto a side table with a sharp clatter. "Why is she banging on my door like the village is on fire? Does she forget whose house this is?"
She stood up, the heavy silk of her emerald gown rustling angrily against the floorboards as she marched toward the fo
