Ruby believed she could stop the Towers from excavating the entire site. She had her ways—clever ones—and that's why she had so confidently told Adrian that she wouldn't let anyone reach the place that was once his safe haven.
But involving Annabelle?
That had never been part of the plan.
She had messed up—badly.
Now, she was rushing across the barren lands, toward the place where the mysterious cubes had been found.
'Please... just don't start a fight with the Tower Masters,' she prayed silently. They always looked for reasons to provoke the strongest Warden.
And if Annabelle stood in their way—if she truly tried to stop them—it would mean declaring open defiance against the Towers.
"Lady Vermillion!" someone from the Twilight Vault called out, rushing toward her just as the distant tents came into view.
A crowd had gathered up ahead. There was murmuring in the air, voices blending into a fog of tension she couldn't yet make out.
