Yvonne ran as fast as she could along the exposed stretch of road and reached the tower's base. A flight of some twenty or thirty stone steps slanted downward, leading to the dimly lit guest quarters.
The building had once formed part of the defenses surrounding the original Inner Castle, but as the castle expanded over the years, it lost its value as a fortification and was repurposed as temporary lodging for visitors seeking an audience. It had never been substantially renovated, however, and consisted of rooms with narrow windows, a front door, and a back door.
If the people inside realized something was wrong in time, all they had to do was shut the two thick, iron-bound wooden doors, and they should be perfectly safe.
All she had to do was hurry a little more and warn them before something arrived.
The open doorway cast light from inside the building, winding across the stone steps. Yvonne ran toward it. Even though the strange flashes of imagery urged her onward, she slowed down. The steps came halfway up her shins. Going up would be tiring at worst, but one misstep going down could have serious consequences.
After a difficult half-minute on the stairs, she stood before the doorway, one hand pressed to her pounding heart. Rising onto her toes, she peered inside. Thank goodness—the people in the long, wide hall were still the steward and his attendant servants, not some strange, inhuman things.
"Mr. Wilbert!" she shouted, desperate to tell him what she'd seen. "Shut the doors! Something's coming up!"
The faces around her all showed the same surprise and confusion. They had heard every word, but made no further move. In response to Yvonne's urgency, Wilbert merely gave her a knowing smile.
"Don't worry, Miss Yvonne. Those lights are