That night, Lyria kept the candles snuffed, the only light in her room coming from the roaring fireplace. Though the warmth of summer was in full swing, the castle often remained cool at night. It was made of a special type of stone, one which, according to Navaill, would retain either cold or heat, whatever was the opposite of the weather outside.
Haribelle still looked shaken, while Ravelina seemed to have composed herself slightly. The three waited in silence for Aertis, who was running unusually late.
They all jumped as a knock came at the door, but Lyria then sprung to her feet. She recognized the thud-thud-bang pattern, a little secret code that Lyria and Ravelina had come up with as children. They used to sneak out to each other’s houses after dark, tapping on the windows in rhyth
