Mei Lin's village was quiet when they arrived, too quiet, and Wei Liang felt it wrong before anyone said a word.
"No smoke from the chimneys," Garrow said, scanning the rooftops. "Same as before."
They found her at the edge of a field, alone, standing perfectly still, staring toward the tree line as if she'd sensed them coming long before they arrived.
"Mei Lin," Wei Liang called out carefully.
She turned slowly. She looked older than the last time they'd seen her, worn thin in a way that had nothing to do with the binding.
"You found something," she said. "I can see it on your faces."
"Cixi remembered something," Wei Liang said. "About the night Yin was almost killed. Someone was there with Tao. A woman. She thinks it was your ancestor."
Mei Lin's face went pale, and she sat down s
