remember de

ots, golden fire trembling in her palms and the next, her feet were pounding agai

rds echoed in her

d Realm i

st twisting around her in a maze of shadows and ancient wood. The fire within her

again, to herself th

not fully. They lingered beneath h

not lo

coul

r told her that if she did, nothing a

stumbled, barely catching herself against a tree trunk. Pain flared through

was no lo

watch

e, thick with anticipation. The symbols she had seen earlier, those burning carvin

ing

shaking her head.

chest answered w

e fores

up near Elderglen her entire life. The trees pulled back in a perfect cir

er stood a

through its surface, glowing faintly with the same golden light that burned w

it

ked away

struck

fr

r, the ai

un what's alrea

e was cl

cl

ld arc, slashing through the space between them. The stranger moved, not fa

ed her fear,

any closer!"

an st

k, woven with threads that shimmered faintly like starlight trapped in shadow. His face

were

rt you," he

voice shaking. "You came out of now

less smile tou

it was c

s not

arms. The man's gaze flicked to it, the

" he murmured. "Str

ng like I'm

uly looked and something

ale," h

d turned

you know

d between them,

n tracking the embers for twelve yea

nds tr

"I've never left the village. I've n

he finish

landed li

said fierce

r a long moment,

r n

nd her began t

t something deep within her chest. The fire responded eagerly, su

harply towar

thed. "I'm not

have," the

mbols

nto the air, forming shapes, wings, crowns, broken blades. The ground

pain lanced through her veins. Memories

ng beneath a

arved from

ng as fire cons

pped to

stop!"

kneeling before her, gr

Listen to me. You're not d

want to r

ened. "But the embers do

both. Heat scorched the air, but still it did not

tar cr

man back several feet. Aria screamed as the for

nt, she wa

was eve

lightning made of fire. Towers loomed in ruin, and mon

r of it all

e cascading down her back. Golden fire crowned h

oman

ed sadly

what I cou

ispered. "I d

want it, the woman rep

ion sha

apsing back into her body. The clearing fell silent

embling, tears st

wly, brushing di

gun," he s

f up, fury cutting

cused. "You knew t

es

didn't

N

fists, fire flickering w

t away f

esit

he said, "y

erly. "Feels lik

er eyes

whether you trust me or not, you

rest s

mething roared, deep, ancie

pression

felt it,"

wallow

t wh

r, then toward

of the Emb

nd tremb

e fire inside Ari

r