Chapter 47 False Friends

• The sight of Lydia standing in the cathedral entrance with armed guards sent ice through my veins that had nothing to do with the Armor of Echoes. My former best friend looked perfectly composed despite the destruction surrounding us, as if midnight battles with ancient dragons were routine occurrences.
• "Lydia," I said carefully, noting how her guards had positioned themselves to block the main exit. "This is unexpected."
• "Is it? I would have thought my timing was quite predictable." She stepped delicately over a chunk of fallen masonry, her elegant court dress somehow unstained by the night's violence. "After all, someone had to clean up the mess you've made."