Chapter 07:
Thad found himself in a once opulent meeting hall that had obviously seen better days. The once brilliant tapestries were now tattered and threadbare. Most color faded with time. Sections of wooden paneling had been torn from the walls to feed the fire, leaving sections of room exposed stone. Paint peeled to show raw wood riddled with wormholes. This was an ancient room, long forgotten and left to decay.
At the head of the table sat a woman he was certain he knew but couldn’t put a name to the face. She was dressed like a fighter ready for battle. Her rugged face held a hidden beauty, buried by suffering years of conflict.
The inquisitor knew the woman’s suffering without knowing it. He gripped the table to maintain his balance. The room spun about his head uncontrollably. H
