The torn Crimson Howl banner lay on the floor, burned and stained with fresh blood. My heart hammered inside my chest as my eyes shot up to the figure standing in the doorway. The flickering torches cast long shadows across the temple walls, making her face hard to see at first.
Then she stepped forward.
It was Rowena.
I froze. My breath caught. My mind scrambled, struggling to piece everything together. Rowena. But how? I knew her face. I had seen her before — in my dream. She was the Councilwoman Helena’s daughter in that twisted vision. But that was only a dream… wasn’t it? Now she was standing right here, in my reality.
Lyria’s voice cut through my racing thoughts. “Who are you, and why are you here?”
Rowena smiled faintly, but her eyes didn’t match her lips. The smile looked empt
