THE next morning, Thalia woke before the first hint of sunlight crept into the sky. She and the Saintess shared the only chamber in the lodge, while the men had settled for the sitting room. Iris still lay fast asleep, her breathing calm and even, while Thalia quietly rose from the wooden divan. Her body ached from the night spent on the hard surface, but with only one bed in the lodge, rightfully reserved for the Saintess, she had endured it without complaint. Now, she was ready to prepare breakfast for the day ahead.
She stepped out of the chamber, the faint chill of dawn greeting her. In the dim light, she noticed Mage Kayne asleep on the couch, his posture relaxed yet weary from the havoc of last night.
“Where are they?” she murmured to herself, glancing around.
A sudden, sharp shh
