"Names," Marcus said. Not a speech. Two words.
Saoirse gave the garden's dead, flat and short. Declan gave what he knew of the confessional court's cost. Someone confirmed what the empty passage had already told them — the banquet hall group was gone, every one of them, the room silent when the notice reached it.
"Aisling," Marcus said, when the count reached Emerald Spire's name.
Nobody answered him, because there was nothing left to answer with.
His hand closed tighter around the sword grip at his side. His jaw locked once, hard, and he looked away from the group toward the passage ahead instead of at any of their faces.
Maeve moved before anyone could stand around the silence too long.
She went to Marcus first — the worst wound in the room — then Finn, then Saoirse, then Declan, in that order, because those four were the ones who had to still be standing when the next door opened.
[MAEVE CALLAHAN — RADIANT PULSE]
[BLEEDING STABILIZED]
[CORRUPTION BUILDUP REDUCED]
