ral. Someone had died in the night ,but Elira barely registered the mournful chants echo

ht had e

tesses carry a body wrapped in linen toward the garden crypts. The sun filtered through

anding iron. She couldn't escape it. The image from the book-t

ounded at

Sarthos'

ed and o

stepped in, shut the door, and hand

blinked. "

learn what you are soon, and when

back. "They've raised

ce they know, their devotion to the old order wil

"Is it really t

the most destructive beings this world has ever known. You carr

passed bet

s?" she finally asked

"One for each shard of his soul.

him. "What hap

dn't

was e

the altar hall. She didn't bring much-only the satchel, a cloak, and a worn pendant she'd kept since she was a ch

one gave way to roots and soil. Cool wind rushed in from the mountains beyond,

ped at a sto

efore we go," he said. "About the te

s because of Kha

pulled out a thin, brittle scroll. "This was hidden behind the soul ch

ear the aged parchment. The scri

urn anew. A flame with a face shall walk the wor

t her sto

ays '

y knew the final ves

still kept

t was you. Not trul

crescent moon surrounded by thorns

ould've kille

. "They didn't. And I won't let them. But you must lea

roy you

the threshold, int

I can't?"

tate. "Then th

seemed to know the land intimately, guiding her down old paths that no longer appeared on maps. The fores

s. Vines curled through the cracks in its stone base, and the upper l

," Sarthos said, sett

her legs aching. "Are we g

"We're going

at him. "Tra

iving yo

le of candles around her and place

t you to light one of the candl

ow. "You want m

use what's alre

ed at th

ice st

me he

he said

s said sharply. "Not unless

d. She imagined warmth, light,

led, fru

d. "Flame does not respon

comes with ange

id. "That's why

She thought of the fire as part o

dle fli

a faint p

a ga

miled. "Go

a single one. She felt drained, her body sore, her mind raw-but she also felt...

g the sky through the collapsed roof. Sarthos sa

ll ever be free

"Freedom may not be po

r head. "Then

do w

ory of the burning city from th

o beco

To be co