The Flight from Ashes
The sanctuary still reeked of blood and fire when Dominic lifted Lena onto her feet. The corpses of assassins littered the ground like broken dolls, their silver masks glinting faintly in the moonlight. The raven’s final warning still burned in her ears: Your next trial has already begun.
Dominic’s arm circled her waist as though his strength alone could hold her together. His jaw was set, eyes flashing gold, his body rigid with fury. “We can’t stay here,” he said. “Not another hour. They’ll return with twice the numbers.”
Mireya was already packing her herbs into cloth bundles, muttering a string of wards beneath her breath. “The Council does not fail twice in the same way,” she murmured. “Their second strike will be worse. If they cannot slay you in open trial, t
