Dragonspire had never felt so quiet, and somehow the silence made everything hurt more.
The fortress was still recovering from the battle at the Silver Gate, because wounded soldiers filled the infirmary while healers moved between beds throughout the day and night. The usual sounds of training, laughter, and dragons calling from the cliffs had faded, and even the servants seemed to speak more softly as they carried food and medicine through the corridors.
I stood in front of the mirror that morning, brushing my hair while staring at the woman looking back at me.
My eyes looked tired, and the faint shadows beneath them had deepened during the past few nights because sleep had become something I could no longer trust.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Draven's chamber. I saw Vivienne o
