er a scream is

of someone she couldn't save fast enough. The fire was long gone, but the hea

around the jagged edge of it as if she could will it to

staye

he tree behind her pulsed i

s our

she w

took

become a constant, even in silence-a steady heartbeat somewhere

ot en

e. A thin pulse of awareness tugging

e

Her legs ached. Her chest burned. But none of it mattered. The bond th

she hadn't seen before-too perfect, too circular. The grass grew in concentric rings, and at

heartbeat thund

w why she step

at she

glowing faint gold. As she reached the tree's tru

revealing a narrow stairway spira

d in her mind: When the moo

n't que

desc

a low hum, as though the tree was alive in more than name. She moved faster, half-bl

here

stone, unto

ves in moonlight, flames entwined with crowns, and always-th

of the room la

, a f

breath

wasn't b

lso wasn'

er over the stone. Her hands rested crossed at her chest,

ce-Gods-wa

emory. Fro

tepped

. Older. Wiser. Broken, ma

, fingers tremb

s eyelids

hen o

jerke

time or explanation. She looked at Mari like someon

tly. "I hoped I'd see

ard. "You're sup

w

not he

ther agreed.

ry but unwilling to waste ano

gaze sharpene

he one I b

dn't have

yes. "I didn't have

always

as dy

ple

rose. "Not hi

Mari a long moment, then nodded as if

onger than

n't c

her said. "Because th

een w

e said. "A

turne

do this. Not

t on some stone floor while she stoo

find him,"

mother said. "Bu

er mother held

aid. "It responds only to

it without

hilt, it flared gold-hot in her palm, the

smiled. "So

t be

unmak

h shudde

her col

er before she

eady," she

led faintly. "

dimming, the symbols fading. The

she

ai

f the tree. Back int

, she did

ond l

Always

l a ravine carved into black rock. Smoke drifted from a structur

not

pt to th

the insignia of House Thalor: a raven devouring a st

or

d. Ble

al

re

spering something too low to hear. Then he

dn't he

. Raised

thre

across the ravine

r in the chest-flam

d, shouting, rea

was alrea

e slope, fire roari

eren't

ll before he

ari twisted, catching his wrist, a

rd trie

let

ached

cious. Pale.

ains with her mother's dagger. The blade

haking him. "Hey. Ope

aned s

d. "That's twice

ething crack

lowed to die,"

ot

lped h

eyond the pit. Rei

re out

was don

her hands glowing faintly, the dagger

d dripping from his side.

she

d weakly.

nter appeare

hen s

e behi

r shim

par

es emerged from the tre

e front, alive, w

friends,"

red. "I

y tr

ed towar

y'll reg

nal hunte

umbe

mat

first time i

ra

ward, dagger bur

was calm

to your

spat. "You're a c

miled

I'm the fire they

th

open beneath t

as roots pul

rest

ered the

eaned ag

never to pi

lmost too exha

acing a steadying ha

" she said. "They'll c

em," Ma

he wasn't

wasn't

anym