Chapter 83
Arden reported for morning duties and arrived at the assembly point to find the guards already in line waiting for their orders. The guards stood in their lines, quiet, waiting for the daily briefing.
“Good morning,” Arden greeted, her voice steady and resonant as she walked to the front of the hall.
“Good morning, Officer Arden!” the rest of the guard responded in disciplined unison.
Arden walked past the ranks and took her place at the front of the room. A wave of murmurs rippled through the formation as the guards whispered among themselves, wondering where Magnus was and why Arden had assumed his position.
“I’m sure many of you—” Arden began, but the doors swung open, cutting her off.
She looked past the assembly to see a belligerent, seething Douglas enter the hall. O
