Morwen started at dawn.
She stood beside the iron circle, gray hair hanging freely down her back, dark robes gathered around her feet, iron-colored eyes fixed on the chair. She didn’t glance back when Aria and Kael climbed the stairs. She remained silent as Aldric, Senna, and two younger witches from the quiet branch entered after them and took their places around the circular chamber Aldric beside the eastern candle, Senna at the western point, the younger witches at north and south.
She waited until pale morning light from the narrow window touched the chair.
Only then did she speak.
“The seal exists in four sections,” Morwen said. “It was never a single whole. When my mother and your great-grandfather imprisoned the thing beneath the world, they split the binding into four parts. Ea
