er's R

ckered with an

eat, too heavy to be placed upon the small, fragile life in her arms. How could

but Seraphina could sense the tension in his posture. He had spoken of t

. "You speak of prophecy, of power beyond understand

ard her, unreadable. "Because I hav

ina st

e those of us who have long known the truth... t

er eyes. "What

to 'purge evil' they seek to destroy what they cannot control. Your son is proof

ready lost everything: her husband, he

not let hi

odded slightly, as if he saw th

Hide in the shadows until the Inquisit

e droppe

r.

a held h

him. Let him become

ce stretched

breathing slow and peaceful. But she remembered what she had

elieved his po

it was som

am of t

awake, her child curled against her chest. Her mind swirled w

ly, exhausti

pths of sleep

ck as the deepest ocean, stretch

was no

d, but wrong as if it did not fully belong to this world. Tendrils of dark

only an endless abyss wher

e felt it w

but felt deep within

hild i

's breath

e him. He is al

tretching toward her,

ed, jerk

art pounding. The cave was quiet, s

ust been

n't

ned to

as a

n eyes stared up at

. she could have sworn she sa

uisitio

ruined estate of House Valther

a golden altar, their heads bowed in prayer.

ritual stood High

obes, his pale fingers resting on the hilt of an orn

gar," a vo

rward. "We have searched the estate and th

ot move. "The

on

le

Malagar exha

ghtened around

quence," he said. "It is t

ll behind the altar, a carving of an ancient battle, depicti

will not be all

the gathered inquisito

ds will

s curled into

hunt beg

k of th

eraphina had not sl

walls, her heart

. He simply watched her with thos

y were supposed to be fragile, he

of something ancient in him. It was n

," she

r from where he sat s

asked, her voice quiet. "

a long moment. Then, sl

do

's stomac

," Ravian continued. "You either con

control

down Serap

er arms, a tiny soun

in the cave seemed to stretch towa