Chapter 18

Camila woke to a jagged cold that cut through her bones like splinters. A swirl of icy air curled around her chest, prickling her skin until she blinked awake, half-caught between sleep and panic. She reached out unquestioningly for the warmth of her blanket, only to slap empty air—her covers were gone. Before she could fully register, a wet rush of something icy splashed across her torso. She gasped, her lungs burning with shock, and pushed herself into a sitting position.

“What is happening?” she croaked, voice hoarse with dread.

Before her stood a circle of elders—stooped figures whose faces were etched in grim lines and anger. Camila’s heart pounded. She thought they scowled because she had broken some unspoken rule with her manners, so she fought down her dread and hauled herself to her feet