Location:The Pavilion
Date/Time:9 Frostforge, 9942 AZI — Seventh Bell
Realm:Lower Realm
The Pavilion smelled like scorched sugar.
That was the first thing, before the light and before the noise, and it stopped her three steps inside the entrance hall with her hand still on the frame. She had come up three tiers of frozen stair from a foundation course with her father's name in it, carrying two schools she was never going to be allowed to own, and now something in here had been burned.
She had made it to her courtyard with most of a bell to spare, which was the only piece of arithmetic that had gone her way all day. The courtyard had been empty. She'd checked it twice, because she always checked it twice, and then stepped through.
"You're late," said Green.
