Effrax froze when he saw the cross. He took Roxanne’s arm and steered her further south.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Effrax didn’t answer. When she tried to peer past him to inspect the cross, he said sharply, “Don’t look at it.”
Roxanne scowled. As they drew level with the trail marker, she squinted at the scarecrow. It was then that she saw the thing attached to the crossbar wasn’t a scarecrow at all. It was a body, burnt and strung up.
She reeled and stumbled. Effrax was still holding her arm, and he steadied her. “I told you not to look.”
“Why?” she breathed. It was the only word she could manage.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I’ve been away for a long time. Things are worse than I imagined. It’s doubly bad because people used to come to the monastery seeking sanctuary. The Valaan
