A dark look came over Lady Ragna’s face, a look Amara was only too familiar with. The man—whoever he was—was treading on thin ice with her mother.

“Now, I must report back to my master.” The man bowed, almost mockingly, then turned and left through the side door.

Amara crossed her arms and watched him go. Her mother watched him as well, eyes blazing.

After he left, silence fell across the chamber. Amara waited until her mother turned back toward her. She wanted to ask who he was and why he had mentioned Commander Orion. There was only one man with that name. The head of the Dominia imperial forces.

Her mother continued to stand there as if made of stone, like one of the ravens carved into the throne. Amara waited, barely breathing, giving her mother time to gain her composure and thoughts instead of lashing out.

“It is time to meet with the other houses.” Her mother’s words and movement were abrupt, as if she had just emerged from a trance. “Come, Amara.”

Amara waited for her mother to descend from the platform, then followed slightly behind her.

“You will tell no one what you heard. I will explain later.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“And you will let me know the moment you feel your gifting coming on, do you hear? We have much work ahead of us. The absence of your sister has made our work even more difficult than before.”

Amara raised one eyebrow. Even now Mother couldn’t seem to say what really happened: Selene had betrayed them and run away.

They left the audience chamber and made their way through Rook Castle toward the meeting room. “You will not say anything to the other houses. You will not speak to them. You are simply here to represent House Ravenwood and to show your support during this crisis.”

“Yes, Mother.” She was curious as to how her mother was going to explain Selene and House Maris’s absence, and the death of Lord Rune and Lady Runa Vivek. Rumors were already spreading that an agent of the empire had infiltrated their castle, but Amara had other suspicions, ones she had harbored about her family for a long time, that House Ravenwood was in the business of death.

The two guards stationed at the door bowed to Lady Ragna and Amara as they entered the circular room. Already the other houses were gathered, sitting somberly around the table, hands folded and eyes cast downward. The silver chandelier threw candlelight across the table, while morning light filtered through the narrow windows beyond the columns.

Upon entering, Amara stole to the right and took her place next to the wall, just inside the shadows that lined the room. There were other guards present from each of the houses, no doubt for the protection of their lords and ladies. She ignored them and watched the table.

Lord Ivulf Friere was the first to acknowledge her mother’s presence. Then the others looked up as she came to stand beside her chair. Amara studied the other houses. She knew them by name only, having spent most of her time with Lord Raoul Friere during his stay here.