TER

aph

ealm had n

ess outside to change. It never did. Black mountains stretched beneath a blood-red sky, while rivers of silver fire wound between cliffs and

have been

, I was

and assigned guards to follow me everywhere. Apparently, being rescued by a terrifyingly

r every stone in this palace held a memory he refused to touch. He carried grief like armour, polished and impenetrable. Yet when he caught my arm, I had felt his fingers t

ost irrit

op thinking a

rushed my wrist when he examined the strange black mark beneath my skin. A

chest and touched something tha

that exp

I wanted to u

act that I wanted him to l

ot," I mutter

nded at my

inc

ediately. My heart performed an

me

s. Without his crown and ceremonial armour, he looked less like a ruler and more like a

ce before settling on the unt

you

wered any of

ted. "Your appetite for con

r avoiding questi

he table. "You

ur palace contains a portrait of

t was again: that ancient pain,

ra was

ed. I folded my arms, pretending the

at am I

moment, the room seemed t

y, "is the question th

y wrist began to burn. I gasped and clutch

slid throu

re

th crossed the room in an

a? What h

something that

expressio

li

dark room, holding a black object against his chest. Something moved inside it, like a h

hing you saw,"

must promise me

ha

ou won't kill him be

e was answ

ret

n't promise to spare someon

an who thinks he can de

willing to retreat. His jaw tighte

I enjoy fri

to people obeying befor

watched me. Then his expression

hat you are asking

tell

on my wrist. The touch was gent

you," he said, "I reme

eant Elyssara, their daughter, or something else

my hand and

ina. We leave for the

f I re

. "Then I will spend the ent

ed on my face, and for one brief second,

ppeared thro

essed a relic containing something Zareth desperately wanted. Somehow, I

looked at me and

given birt

of losing her feel li