There wasn’t a chance that Galina would come quietly. Not when she wasn’t guilty. Except for that small sliver of thought that perhaps this was really about Mari. It was a small enough sliver that Galina didn’t move fast enough when the next spell was cast and found herself immobilized.

Panic coursed through her bones as she tried to move her hands, her arms, anything, only to find every effort completely useless. Calm down. She tried to tell herself as she settled for glaring at the man, wondering if the look of ice even could happen with this spell. She knew she had had reason to be wary of the witches and wizards. Knew she had been right in this regard. She should have left when Mari begged her too, yet she had allowed hope to blind her. She was no better than Lyra with her ideals and her hopes of a world that would never change.