Prologue
Queen Celene, Aleran Dungeon
This newest prison cell they transported me to was in Mytikas. I couldn’t see outside, as there were no windows in the square room, but I knew what home smelled like, even after all these years.
The Aleran flowers that surrounded the citadel grew randomly throughout the city in a multitude of colors. The petals close to the honored building were nearly translucent and delicate. But farther away, they changed based on the environment in a way our scientists had never understood.
I knew it was the citadel itself that made them change, that they were part of the consciousness of the intelligence that designed them. Strange as it sounded, they were the citadel’s nerves within the city.
And their scent was unmistakable. Sweet. Comforting.
Home. It sme
