Chapter Eight

Keyla’s memory of her arrival at the Citadel was etched into her mind. After the harrowing few days spent on the run with her grandmother, it had been a haven unlike anything she had expected.

Her grandmother’s endurance and skill had been remarkable, far beyond what she had expected. She had always considered her the quiet, gentle old woman who taught her some basic understanding of magic. Clearly there was much more to her than that. Their reception at the Citadel had proven as much.

When they stumbled onto the grounds surrounding it, a small group of young women were working a vegetable garden just outside the low wall. They were very concerned about Keyla, given her age and travel-worn appearance, and gave equal attention to the elderly woman with her. Once they were assured that neither had suffered any injury, they escorted them to the Citadel.

Keyla gazed at it with wide eyes. The structure was larger than she had imagined. A castle, really, with shimmering white marble wall