runched against

ny needles. She walked up the steep, icy stone steps

o massive gargoyle statues, their stone faces twisted into permanent snar

et and pulled out the blood

the gate, a harsh grinding noise

ked and peeled away, revealing a scrawny

ts stone shell. A massive man with a thick nec

out of Alina's hand. He unrolle

ugh. "A Prismatic Dud? Silver

ounced off the black stone walls. "We take the crazy ones, litt

n't cross her arms. She jus

it b

parchment high above his head. "This piece of

hadow fell over Alina. "Turn around before you

r hand. She looked dire

voice cutting clearly through the howling wind. "Any bearer of a l

ed. Their mockin

w about the old laws?" Pip m

k at Alina. A nasty, cruel sm

nt your trial? You can ta

ip, his eyes wide. The Gauntlet was a death se

pure, unstable arcane energy. It will peel the skin from your bo

her Primordial Core in h

inch. She just jerked her chin

en

tead, he reached into his robes and pulled out a long, black

iron gates groaned,

ight and violent wi

ide the gates was a long, dark corridor. Swirling vortexes of pu

ock yelled over the noise, ge

as bag. She stepped forward, crossin

ac

echoed over th

usted iron lantern suddenly flared to life.

way. That's a soul-forged lantern. It

traight. The violent winds whipped her black ha

Crack

he blue light pushed back the

ifted. Instead of attacking her, the purple stre

ing her to explode i

nished. It sank into her body

t behind her with a deafening bo

alone in