She headed directly for the diagonal stairway leading up the sloped bastion and began to climb, taking the steps two at a time. Behind her, Amos grunted as he hurried to catch up. Cresting the stairway, she immediately headed for the Temple of Aeris, cutting a straight path through the agora.

She could feel her heart pounding. The sounds of the waking city were distant, barely heard. She swiftly climbed the wide marble steps and took the path that would lead her to the columned entrance to the temple. As the grand structure filled her vision, she stopped in her tracks.

Amos finally drew up beside her, panting. ‘By the gods,’ he said under his breath.

Dozens of armored soldiers wearing the blue cloaks of Phalesia surrounded the area. There were so many of them.

Far too many for a normal day.

The blood drained from Chloe’s face. She turned to Amos. ‘Sophia.’

She ran up the path to the temple, ignoring everything around her as she rushed into the entrance. Sweeping past consuls in white tunics and curious city folk being held back by the soldiers, she felt a hand grasp hold of her arm, but pulled herself free. Seeing that one of the latticed screens separating the inner sanctum was smashed, she hurried forward as two guards tried to stop her.

The Phalesian soldiers’ mouths dropped open when they saw her face. Hearing Amos shout, they looked past her shoulder, eyes widening when they saw the man hurrying to keep up with her. Unimpeded, Chloe rushed into the inner sanctum.

She saw priests and priestesses, and blood in pools on the stone floor. Braziers, ewers, and a large basin had all been shoved to the side to clear the area.

She immediately saw her sister.

Sophia was on a bed pallet on her back, close to the center, lying motionless with her eyes closed. The girl’s face was a mass of bruises; her left eye was mostly closed, and there was a terrible red mark on her temple. Nearby a priest of Aldus leaned over the sprawled-out corpse of a well-dressed man with dark hair, performing last rites. A priestess of Aeris was doing the same for the tall, olive-skinned high priestess, Marina.

For a moment Chloe was too stunned to move. Then with a gasp she rushed over and knelt at Sophia’s side. Remembering her vision, she prayed for her sister’s chest to move. Part of her was screaming that this wasn’t happening.

It wasn’t the same as her vision, for what she’d seen in the white fire must have been mere moments after whatever attack had taken place. She was here. This was happening. Sophia had been moved to a pallet. Because she’s dead, or because she’s not in immediate danger? Please. Please, let her breathe.

Chloe took her sister’s small hand and squeezed it. She leaned over Sophia’s mouth and listened for breath.