When she opened her eyes, the blackness pressed in on her. She blinked a few times, ensuring that her eyes were, in fact, open. The blackness remained unchanged. She wiggled her toes and fingers, feeling the strain of her wrists in the rough cuffs, but reassuring herself that everything still worked.

She racked her brain, attempting to put her thoughts in order and piece together what had happened. She remembered screaming and blood and fire. And then blackness.

Stone scrapped again stone somewhere in the darkness, muffled by what she assumed was a door or two. And then came voices.

“She’s alive.”

“Has she been questioned yet?”

“She was in and out after the battle. Wasn’t making sense before.”

“Stay out here. Make sure no one else comes in.”

“Are you—are you sure, Senye? Even chained, she’s dangerous.”

“I will be fine.” The voice was clearer now. Closer. Easy to recognize.

As the door creaked open, torchlight filled the room. She turned her face, wincing in the sudden brightness.

Senye Wila stepped through the room, one hand wrapped around her torch, the other fingering something in her pocket. “Senye Emaru,” she said in a melancholy tone.

“Why so formal, Ria?” Emaru said, chin raised.

“Linda, we have a lot to talk about.”

“I’d love to start with why I’m currently chained to a wall.”

“Your protégé, who, if I remember correctly, we told you to get rid of years ago, just staged a rebellion and made off with the weapon we’ve been searching for for decades. A weapon you recently had in your possession and then lost.”

Emaru moved in her bindings, trying to adjust herself, but no matter the angle, she was still looking straight up at Wila. It wasn’t a circumstance she’d normally allow. “We all underestimated the girl. Clearly, that won’t happen again.”

“Clearly, it won’t. But you won’t be around to make that mistake again.”

Emaru twisted her wrists, hidden behind her back. “I don’t think I can abide by that.”

She reached for her core, the swirl of air that moved constantly through her chest.

And she touched nothing. There was nothing there.

“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you,” Wila was looking at her with something resembling pity. “But there will be none of that.

“You’ve made us move up our timeline. Well, Ayar and Senye Cruz have. I always knew that woman was a witch,” Wila spit the words out. She paced the room, eyes not settling on any single place. “We knew this day would come, but I thought we had time to plan and perfect…” She cut herself off before her voice raised too much. “But now…” Her eyes swiveled back to Emaru, who leaned against the wall silently, her wrists still twisting uselessly behind her. “I’m just monologuing now.”

“I’m used to the sermons,” Emaru said.

“You know, I always thought you’d be on our side of this.”

“I still am.”

“No, no. You’ll be much more useful to us as a lesson..” she paused, “a lesson of what happens when you betray the Haven.”

“Betray the haven?”

“Intentional or not, your mistakes have resulted in what amounts to a betrayal.”

Again, Emaru reached for her core, only for it to come up empty.

“I admit,” Wila said, “we had to be a tad more aggressive to stunt your abilities.” She pulled a small stone out of her pocket and tucked it into the chained woman’s belt, patting it with a sad smile.

“Goodbye, Linda. The Haven really could have used you.”

END OF BOOK ONE OF THE MAGE WAR CHRONICLES