Talia wakes to the sound of conflict and pressing heat. Blinking away the fuzziness of her vision, she sees Lucian hovering over her. His lips are moving, but Talia cannot make out what he is saying over the buzzing in her ears. As her senses adjust themselves, she begins to feel the pain racing through her body. Her head is pounding and she can feel something wet on her hair and neck. Reaching back, she touches the tender spot and examines the blood on her hands. Her blood. Panic fills her stomach as she tries to process everything happening around her.
There are guards and cloaked figures clashing in the middle of the temple, Igneous and the King are nowhere to be found, the council members are gone along with the elders. Finally, Lucian’s voice reaches her mind.
“Talia, snap out of i
