the mountain

ly in

istant. A shado

e stars whis

t watched but

think it w

ream. Ju

a war

it stood

han she

n the nigh

way that made

in didn't

emem

-

ked, the ai

though the sky

ned brittl

ked open in lo

rest itself

irds

ects b

ind refuse

ature had stop

pped on

d-loud, d

neck br

flinched

raised a h

ack f

ocked ahead. Hi

re c

-

wrapped aroun

r gave her the ni

lways be

like a heart

t felt

ld

av

g inside it w

o Alexander.

dn't

e eart

rippled be

earth

pu

eep undergr

ned like old b

h

epped from

-

as ba

ed black with

dragged behind her

idn't

't s

look

e, blank-seemed

broken," sh

earth know

lis

le

lence that comes when som

th

brea

o

l

ci

idn't belong to

-

unsheathed

ice dr

our father made

heart s

id he v

replied. "But not in

-

ed the slo

heavier th

, climbing up thei

Tugging.

wouldn't co

mpered and sat at the ed

ed the summit,

world

-

was no

t gash in t

n ripped open f

agged a

still glowing be

't an e

s a w

as bleed

arp-metallic, lik

s place was sealed with ancient

words crawl

t hold," she

murmured. "Because

-

gaze

gl

ta

ied in t

d toward

t-" Alexan

like they belonge

kn

s a s

as n

ep into t

ched th

as c

cold o

ld of

vision

-

rose ar

ws sc

wled into

re-her

red. Burning

ery sword, plante

fice, a

clawed

o pull

he h

e gate

ords were

her

racked apart

-

ped, fal

d from the tou

m in," she whi

r's jaw

e gate is o

ist s

pe em

dn't

gli

feet

apped in

lack flame a

ey

ight. A

e it had waited centu

eck flared-white hot

ore i

ppe

ure surge

raised h

"You have to choos

-

ed to th

sn't

n't wa

s cal

her palm as she

pu

ntain s

round

ky ho

eked and scat

Lyra

hand pulsed-ali

line reme

shadows

od her

art shaking.

running,"

in the mist