"Where is the girl?" Aldric set a tray of vials on the war chamber table. "She has missed both of her healing tonics today."
Sterling did not look up from the map he was annotating. "Since when did she require healing tonics?"
"Since the dark magic, Sterling. Blair too. Tissue damage from the dark magic extraction."
Sterling continued writing.
Blair entered next, her boots sharp on the stone. "Where is Gwen? I have been looking for her since this morning. Her chambers are empty. The training field is empty. Ryker's quarters are empty, which I checked out of sheer desperation, and I am now standing in the war chamber asking the Third of Drakencrest where my brother's wife is, which should concern everyone in this room."
Sterling set his pen down. He looked at Aldric. Then at Blair.
"She is merging with Maddox's flame today." He delivered the information with the emotional weight of a weather report.
The silence that followed had texture.
