~ ZARA ~
Two hours later the room was almost silent.
Women were slumped in chairs, laying their heads on their arms on the dining table, even curled up on their Defender's cloaks on the floor. Everyone was exhausted and trying to sleep, but I doubted any of them found any more rest than I did.
I'd dozed a few times, eased in and out of strange dreams that made no sense and only left me even more restless, but no matter how I twisted or turned in the wide chair Ash had kept for me even when I'd had to take twenty minutes to draw Roselind away from David, I couldn't find real sleep at all.
I was sucked out of another half-sleep by the clearing of a deep throat.
I blinked awake, as did most of the women, to find Stark standing in the wide doorway waiting for our attention.
Cloaks were gathered around shoulders and into laps as the women all straightened, faces earnest and worried. My own nerves flared—had more people died?
