Guinevere woke with her hand at her throat.
The bruise was still wet, and there were no arms around her.
She remembered his fangs in her neck, and the sense that something bad had happened before, but the details were fog.
On the other side of the stone, men spoke the way they only spoke when kingdoms had already bled.
"Cinderfall Keep fell at dawn. The garrison surrendered without a fight. Kael's banner is flying from the eastern tower."
"Surrendered." Maddox's voice was flat. "Or turned."
"Turned. The garrison commander was Hollis's cousin. Secondary contact from the sweep. We cleared him too late."
She was up before her body could vote on it, pulling on a short silk robe and slippers.
Maddox looked up when she entered. His gold eyes tracked her in the doorway.
"You should be resting," he said.
"I rested." She moved to the table. "What happened."
It was asked as a statement. She had heard enough through the walls to know the answer was bad.
