al

hrough the ruins, earth, rain, and

all her "one of us." The ache in her chest pulsed with the mark's dull b

rusted too easily had d

wanted

em had burned low to embers. Veyr sat opposite her, s

r mo

said she was Syndi

orn into the Blackridge Syndicate. She was trained as a healer, sam

frowned

the pretty crystal-shop kind. Real magic. Ancient

rke

ook one when she was your age, swearing to

inked. "T

dge teaches you the real history? Th

forward. "Tell

-

ss

r with Roran, staring at the w

ian muttered. "She looked righ

marked," Roran said. "You lef

n't me

the Council speak lo

wer. The water mov

d, "There was a

an eyebrow.

enched. "He thin

You knew the girl who smiled at you from the healing

-

al

aring into the fire. "About the Synd

d when she fell in love with your father, someone f

ave the Syndicate i

ecause she saw what p

sat ver

o her?" she whis

and reached into his coat. He pulled something out.

apped it

ges stuffed with pressed herbs,

er's han

roat c

died," Veyr said. "Told me to gi

hammering. "And how do

the Council knows you're alive.

-

ss

nridge before dawn

greeted him

the gates. "

es

nd

ready to

isted. "Or she

didn't

ndle and stared at the bond mark on his chest

still

never chos

-

al

d with a healer's careful detail-remedies, rituals, coded warnings. Bu

Flame is a

ars what they c

, she must not bend

ze on t

here. Like it had be

ad it

, she must not ben

her hand unconsciously cove

She'd protected her from s

ing con

-

e

her read

quiet eyes, same stubborn tilt of the chin. But t

e had waited

it," he said wh

e w

he place whe

-

ss

. "Crescent's pushing again. Elir

les. "Let her stir. I'm

. When you left

s head s

t fight. But if you want her here, you'll have to pro

-

al

ed the sit

clearing that pulsed with old energy. The trees around i

she was killed?

aid she violated her oath. But we both k

ed to th

was

lowly. The mark on he

a symbol, two crescent

ga

t in her mot

he stone, and the symbol glo

stirred in

be Luna. You were meant