Lucian materialized to the dungeon, his flames casting flickering shadows against the walls.
Lenora stood near the center of the room with her hands pressed against her stomach, her gaze fixed on the main entrance where the ancient power of the Council was already beginning to frost the door.
The air in the room felt heavy and cold as the vibrations from the foyer below rattled the furniture.
"Dove, we have to leave before the Council manages to dissolve the wards on the door," Lucian said while he gently grabbed her arm to pull her toward the balcony.
Lenora resisted his pull for a second, her eyes searching his face for any sign that the others were safe in the carnage downstairs.
"I can't leave them there, Lucian," she whispered as her voice trembled with a fear that made her entire body shake. "If I go now and the palace falls, I will never know if they made it out of that war alive."
