Warren’s nearby. Solma’s heart lifts at the prospect. He’s close. There’s still a chance.
But something else nags at the corner of her mind. Why is he still nearby? Maxen and Sand’s End are miles away, months of journeying. Why are the Fire Makers waiting? They can’t expect to steal more Keeper children now. And they have the most powerful one.
They have her brother.
So why wait?
The glade is full of activity. Norsen’s Gatra—no longer under suspicion—are out in full force, patrolling the glade and surrounding woodland. There are a lot of them, a far greater force than Sand’s End ever had. They command patrol dogs and they’re armed to the teeth, magazines slung across their shoulders so the bullets catch the sun. Most of them are young, but there are some older ones, in their twenties o
