It soaked through my cloak the moment I stepped outside Mara's den, plastering the heavy wool against my arms. The wooden box dug into my ribs beneath the fabric, while the pendant rested warm in my palm, its heat strangely comforting against the cold.
For one terrible heartbeat...
I didn't recognize Beaumont.
Smoke drifted between the buildings in thick gray ribbons, blurring the streets I'd walked every day for years. Lanterns swung wildly in the wind, casting broken shadows across the muddy square. Voices echoed from every direction.
Orders.
Cries.
Prayers.
Pain.
The village wasn't moving together anymore.
It was coming apart.
A wagon lay overturned beside the well, one wheel still spinning. Apples floated through muddy puddles before disappearing beneath hurried boots. A mark
