Kingdom of Ash

Manon and the Thirteen found a chamber in
which to sleep.
A few candles burned in the spacious room,
but no furniture filled it. Nothing save the
bedrolls they brought in. Manon tried not to
look too long at hers, to mark the scent that
had faded with every mile northward.
Where Dorian was, what he was doing—
she didn’t let herself think about.
If only because doing so would send her
flying southward again, all the way to Morath.
In the dim room, Manon sat on her bedroll,
the Thirteen seated around her, and listened to
the chaos of the castle.
The place was little more than a tomb, the
ghosts of its riches haunting every corner. She
wondered what this room had once been—a
meeting room, a place to sleep, a study ...
There were no indicators.
Manon leaned her head back against the