Strax lightly squeezed Evelyn's shoulder, feeling the tension still locked in her muscles.
"Let's get out of here," he said, his voice low but firm enough for everyone to hear. "We need to talk... but not here. This place..." — his gaze swept over the dead trees around them — "...is no longer worthy of our truths."
Evelyn took a deep breath, trying to control the emotions still throbbing inside her. She straightened her back, adjusting the veil over her shoulders, and looked at the group gathered there.
"Let's go to the palace," she said, her voice carrying a renewed authority. "There, we will be protected. And... we will have the privacy we need to say everything that must be said."
Scarlet smirked, tossing her hair back. "Finally, a decent idea. I'm freezing down to my soul here."
"Then let's move," Beatrice grumbled, already spinning on her heels.
