Shielded

A PREQUEL TO THE LIGHTBEARER CHRONICLES

DAN KENNER

AKEWNON BOOKS

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Also by Dan Kenner

Chapter One

Life had become very simple for Talatha. Few there were in Lindrad who could complicate her life with her husband and son.

Except for the Shield of Light from which she couldn’t escape.

Talatha grimaced, looking to the side where the translucent wall of Light glowed ever so slightly. It was almost imperceptible in the glaring sunlight from above. She looked away, pulling free another group of feathers from the turkey she’d slain.

It was grisly work, to be sure, but her husband needed the feathers for his fletching. He never understood why she always insisted on being the one to gather the feathers from their turkey stock. Still, he let her do it all the same. She didn’t want him to know that all she wanted was to escape the stuffy workshop.

Sighing, Talatha tried not to focus on having to hide her secret from everyone in town, especially her husband. They’d been married for a few cycles now, and she’d given birth to their first child. The last thing she wanted was to ruin everything by revealing this gift she’d not asked for.

The well she worked next to was situated by the local tavern. Sounds of drinking men and working girls drifted out the window, the end of the day heralding the usual ale drinkers and their raucous laughter. A light breeze blew from the surrounding forest, bringing the strong earthy smell and sweet pine to Talatha’s nose.

She glanced upward, seeing that the sun would soon set, making it more likely that her Shield might be seen through the dim light. She wouldn’t have spent so much time and effort keeping the barrier upheld if it weren’t for one specific fact.

They were looking for her.

She shivered, gathering the feathers in the wooden bucket then collecting the corpses of the turkeys. At least they’d make a fine soup for dinner today, though at this point she suspected her husband was sick of eating it. But even he couldn’t deny the ease and practicality of the meal, even if they consumed it all too often.

Talatha stood, stretching her spine before making the short return trek to her home. Her blonde hair, long and wavy, cascaded halfway down her back. She cursed herself for not tying it up. As she worked with the turkeys and their feathers, she’d struggled to keep the strands from falling in the mess. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d bloodied her hair.

Her eyes mirrored the bright blue sky above. This feature was another thing that made her stick out in the small town. The eye color wasn’t common among the people here, instead heralding from further north in Lindrad. She didn’t mind standing out, except that the attention made it even more difficult to veil the secret she bore.

Glancing around, she ensured there were no prying eyes before she reached outward, tapping the barrier of Light. Constructed from steady blue Light, it would look something terrifying to those who didn’t understand its nature.

Then again, she hardly understood it herself.

Taking a moment to test the wall, she focused on the edges of the barrier, thickening them until they became a brilliant blue glow, a dome wrapping around her whole body, just a few handspans outside of her person. For a moment, she admired the beauty of it, wishing it was something she could share with her husband and others in town.

But they wouldn’t understand.

Pursing her lips, she waved her hand, the Shield all but disappearing save for a thin version of the dome. Only those with keen eyes or those who knew what they looked for would be able to see it.

Hefting the buckets of feathers and turkey corpses, she struggled to right herself for a moment before walking down the street. Today she’d been the only one working there, which was odd, but she appreciated the quiet. Talatha chose this well to work next to since it was the only one not central to the small town. Though she’d on occasion needed to use the wells in the center of town, she could usually avoid it.

Her foot caught the edge of her simple brown dress and she gasped, pitching forward. A few feathers leapt out of the bucket, flitting to the ground. She thought to pick them up but decided it wasn’t worth resituating herself.

“Need a hand, miss?” a voice came from the side of the street.

Talatha started, turning to see a man she didn’t recognize. Smiling, she shook her head.

“No thank you, I appreciate the gesture,” she said, turning away from him and continuing on.

The sound of footsteps came up from behind her and she tensed. She didn’t want to turn around to look at him for fear of his unknown intent.

“I must insist. You look like you could use a hand,” he said. As he moved toward her, he grunted, stumbling backwards. “What in the fog—?”

Talatha gritted her teeth, dropping her Shield to allow the man through. Furrowing his brow, he reached out, waving his hand through the surrounding air, looking all the more confused when he touched nothing.

“Felt like I ran into something,” he said, shaking his head.

“Sir, I am fine, I assure you,” she insisted, hurrying off.

The footsteps sounded again behind her, and she resisted the urge to spin on the man, thicken her Shield and expand it rapidly to knock him over.

“Talatha,” his voice rang out behind her.

She froze, her whole body tingling. It felt as if her skin constricted, tightening in her hair as terror coursed through her.

Talatha cursed herself for not being able to grip the dagger she had at her leather belt. Still, she readied her mind to push her Shield outward at a moment’s notice.

“I don’t believe I know you, sir,” she emphasized, her voice strained to show her indignation.

“I mean you no harm,” the man sounded from behind.

Talatha analyzed the situation. His words must have some truth, for if he had meant her harm, he likely would have already closed in. She didn’t hear his footsteps moving closer.

“Then why are you here, and how do you know my name?” Talatha asked, her voice hardened.

“Magness sends for you,” he said after a moment’s pause.

Talatha’s eyes widened, and this time, she couldn’t help but turn around to face the man. He stood a head taller than her, his dark-brown hair tied back in a ponytail. His beard was full and well-cut close to his face. Bright-green eyes peeked out from under bushy brown eyebrows. Though Talatha’s memory sought his appearance, it came up with nothing.

“You’re one of them,” she hissed, looking around the street at those who traveled close by. “I told my sister I didn’t want anything to do with any of you.”

The man winced at her words, taking a step forward with his hand out. Talatha dropped the bucket in her right hand, feathers scattering on the dirt road at her feet, then put her palm upward. Immediately, the barrier of blue Light exploded outward in front of her, the man grunting as he walked into it once more. Talatha closed her hand, and the barrier disappeared. Adrenaline coursed through her, sweat beading on the back of her neck and dripping down her spine.

“Magness should know I wanted to settle down. She should have seen I didn’t want anything to do with these powers,” she spat, keeping her eyes locked on his.

He raised an eyebrow at her comment, then nodded to her.

“And yet you use it even now? I hardly think that was a defense mechanism, given that I ran into your Shield when I first found you,” he pointed out.

Talatha flushed but kept her hard gaze on him.

“If you know anything about this problem I have to deal with,” she noted, “then you’ll realize why I have to use this barrier whenever possible. It’s worked for years, keeping me from the prying eyes of Seers.”

The man bit his lower lip, looking around the street. Talatha hoped no one had seen her create the barrier. She wagered none of them had even heard of, let alone seen, something like this happen before. Glancing upward at the setting sun, she hoped it kept what she’d just done veiled enough from eyes. Even with the glaring light of the sun, if someone looked closely enough, they’d have seen it. When no alarms or shouts of surprise were sounded, she kept her hard gaze on the man.

“Evenin’ Tal, ’ow’s the day, then?” came a woman’s voice from her right.

Praying that the unfamiliar man wouldn’t try anything ridiculous in such a public setting, Talatha turned to see Huvelin, the baker’s wife, carrying a large, empty basket. More than likely, the rotund woman was returning from having sold all their treats at the local market. Talatha smiled, pressing down the growing dread inside. She didn't want to alert the woman that anything was wrong.

“Doing fine, thanks. Just finished a round of feathers for my husband to fletch. Been having a lot of success selling to these hunters; it’s a good season of hunting this cycle,” Talatha replied.

The baker’s wife nodded, eyes looking downward at the feathers.

“Looks a roit mess, Oi’d say,” Huvelin said, stepping away from a few feathers close to her feet. “Did yeh need some ’elp, then?”

It was obvious the woman had little intent or desire to actually help clean up the mess, but Talatha knew Huvelin didn’t want to walk away without at least the pretense of kindness. That’s how she always was, cordial in person but prone to laziness.

Talatha knew that was probably why Huvelin and her husband were plump, spending most of their days baking and eating while sometimes selling their wares. From what Talatha understood, the baker even employed a few local women to clean their shop after they baked, not wanting to spend his own energy.

Such laziness results in complacency, doesn’t it? Talatha thought.

“No thank you, it was just negligence,” Talatha replied. “Lanser be praised, he sent me this fellow to help me clean this up.”

The man tensed but didn’t deny her words. Talatha hoped that bringing attention to the man would make him less likely to do something dire or stupid, given that Huvelin was now more aware of his presence.

“O’, fine thing, tha’. Well, good luck wif everythin’,” the large woman said before eyeing the man. She smiled thinly then pulled the hem of her dress upward to keep it from dragging on the dirt road. As usual, Huvelin’s dress was made too long. The seamstress likely overcompensated for the woman’s large midsection, which seemed to grow daily.

Air hissed through the man’s teeth, showing his disapproval of the work he’d just gotten himself into, but he didn’t complain any further as he dipped down, gathering the wet feathers.

Talatha crouched, gathering a few in her hands before whispering to her unwanted companion.

“Return to—wherever you came from and tell my sister to leave me alone. I came here to hide from you, from everything, on purpose. Lanser bless, I’ve made it this long with none of you finding me.”

His firm hand gripped her elbow and she tensed, dropping the feathers in her hand once more as she prepared to create another barrier.

“Be still,” the man’s voice said.

She looked upward, staring into his eyes as another uncomfortable feeling rocked through her gut. He didn’t hold her elbow long, removing it once he had her attention. Clearing his throat, he kept his eyes locked on hers.

“They know where you are too,” he said.

Talatha’s skin chilled again, and she felt nauseous.

“Th-they? Who do you mean?” she asked, but she thought she didn’t truly want to know.

“Watchlight. The ones clad in black,” he explained.

No, that can’t be, she thought.

“How? After all these years—how can they know?” she asked, her voice wavering. Her eyes darted around the road, analyzing every alley and window.

The man shook his head. “Our suspicion is that their Seers found you by chance as they watched the village. We feel fortunate that we located you as well. I came here alone, hoping to convince you to leave this place. Come from this town before you put yourself or anyone else in danger.”

Danger.

Talatha’s mind was numbed at the thought of having to leave her husband, her newborn son. When she’d married, she intended on finding a small town like this and hiding away for the rest of her life, knowing that her Shield could keep unwanted eyes from her and the ones she loved.

She now realized her efforts had been in vain.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of her husband, her newborn son not half a cycle old. She thought of his almost-bald head, little tufts of blond hair sprouting there, the strong yet gentle grip of her infant’s hand as he grasped her finger.

“Are you sure of this?” she said, a tear escaping down the side of her nose.

The man bit his lip, then nodded, seeming uncomfortable with her display of emotion.

Her mind warred with her heart. She’d come here, found a husband, and started a family because she hoped she could stay away from the power. She wanted to stay away from the trouble of the Light, but if what the man said was true, she no longer had any chance. Chest constricting at the thought of having to leave her husband and son behind, she shook her head, leaning down to pick up the feathers once more.

“They’ll come with me, they have to,” she said, pulling together the wet mess before her and shoving the feathers in the bucket.

The man, sighing again, helped her, and soon they’d gathered most of them.

“Who do you mean?” he asked.

Talatha pressed her lips together. All these years she’d hoped to protect them. That this man was ignorant of her family meant her Shield had worked, at least in protecting their identities. She wanted to veil the truth of her family but came to the conclusion that if she was to bring her husband and son, this man would know of them soon enough.

“My family,” she replied.

The man’s eyes widened, and he looked around the darkening street.

“You have a family,” he said. It sounded something akin to a question, but his voice didn’t rise at the end.

“My husband, and—a son,” Talatha explained. “And they—”

An arrow slammed into the wall of the building next to her, thudding loudly.

Talatha’s jaw tightened as she threw up a Shield, this time encapsulating both her and her companion. The blazing blue Light of the barrier lit up the road and the buildings nearby.

This time, it wasn’t hidden from anyone.

She cursed as she saw that the sun had set too far over the edge of the roof above her, making her Shield visible likely from leagues away. Even now, a few of the locals shouted in surprise, pointing at her and the man she protected.

“Get behind me,” the man said, and she saw a new source of brilliant blue Light appear out of the corner of her eye. She glanced over to see he held a sword created from the same Light as her Shield.

He’s one of them, she thought, eyes widening. One of us.

The man shouted, then ran headlong through her barrier. He must have been familiar with the construct of such a Shield, for he passed through this side with little worry. Given how frantic she was about being revealed to others in her town, she hadn’t noticed that an entire group of people clad in black cloaks and clothing appeared from the narrow alleyways across from them.

Gritting her teeth, she reached upward with her now free hands, and a barrier formed in the air. She lamented the loss of the work she’d just performed that was littered on the road below. Talatha watched as the man soared through the aggressors, attacking them one by one. Talatha’s stomach clenched as she watched one fall. Though she was used to using a knife for cooking, not once had she raised one against a person before.

A loud crack sounded against the side of her Shield, and she gasped as energy seeped from her. Her mind reeled as she tried to figure out what just happened. Another flash of Light was followed by another crack, which almost deafened her.

“Drop the Shield and run,” the man shouted from across the small dirt path.

Frozen in fear, she held firm—until one last crack sounded and her energy failed her. Her mind fuzzed and she felt dizzy. This time her Shield broke with the sound of shattering glass. Talatha fell to her knees, dazed.

Suddenly, strong hands forced her up. She didn’t have the mind to look to see who dragged her. Instead, she followed. Though her feet ached and her legs strained to keep up, she followed the pull.

After passing through two more streets, she realized the man she’d just spoken with was the one yanking her forward. Shaking her head, she jerked her arm away, stepping backwards.

“What is going on? Who are these people?” she demanded, wanting to run back. Then she spotted two of the black-cloaked figures at the other end of the alley.

Her brain shouted at her in warning, causing her to spin on her heels and follow the stranger. Though she still felt drained, she threw her hand back, creating a barrier at the end of the alleyway to block the pursuers. Based on their loud curses, it worked. Talatha paused, glancing back at the two figures. They slammed their fists and swords against the barrier to no avail.

“Come on, we have to join the others,” the man said.

She froze, turning to him.

“Why should I trust you? How do I know you aren’t the reason they are here?” Talatha accused, her head spinning. She eyed the glowing sword he held. From what she could tell, it was made entirely of Light, nothing else. Seeing something like that should have alarmed her more, but given that she held similar powers, she was immune to the steady blue glow.

The man slapped his forehead. “Will you just come on? If you get killed, your sister will murder me.”

When she didn’t move at once, the man reached out and grabbed her arm again. This time, she resisted.

“At least tell me your name,” Talatha demanded.

“Wilgren,” he said gruffly. “Now can we move? The Destroyer is here. I don’t think your Shield will hold much longer.”

Her skin chilled at the word he’d just used. She had no idea what he was saying or what any of it meant. Still, something told her it wasn’t good.

He pulled her arm again, and this time, she allowed him to.

“The barrier will just hold them, won’t it?” Talatha said, and he shook his head.

“’Fraid not, there’s a distance limit,” he said.

Right as the words fled his lips, Talatha felt her barrier disappear.

Fog it all! How did I not know that? she cursed.

Legs straining to keep up with the taller man, she could only focus on not tripping until they rounded one last corner, coming upon two horses tied to a fence.

“All right, the brown one’s yours. Mine’s the grey,” he said, pointing to a mare. He then pulled himself smoothly on top of the other horse

Talatha’s stomach flipped at the thought of getting on the large animal. She’d only ridden once, and the experience had not been good. Gritting her teeth at the fear growing inside, she grabbed the saddle and awkwardly tried to pull herself upward.

The man watched her with a raised eyebrow.

“You’ve never ridden before?” he asked.

Blushing, she shook her head. She didn’t want to admit the blunder of her first attempt at riding the beasts. Just then, sounds of shouting men echoed down the narrow alley they’d just emerged from. Wilgren cursed, leaping off his own horse and putting a firm hand under her boot. With a grunt, he pushed her upward until she settled on the horse.

Within moments, he was back in his saddle, grabbing the reins of her horse and his own, clicking his tongue to get them in motion. A heartbeat later, an arrow zipped through the air past Talatha’s head, and she held up her hand, a new barrier appearing behind her to block the volley.

As the horses galloped away from her town, tears poured from Talatha’s eyes. She’d settled down here, hoping and praying she would be safe from everything.

Now she rode away from her husband and son, fearing she’d never see them again. Closing her eyes, she sent a silent prayer to Lanser to protect her family.

Chapter Two

Despite the red moon shining in the sky, the thick canopy of leaves and branches above made it almost impossible to see where they were going. Talatha was not as familiar with the forest as the hunters from the town, who frequented the foliage for their work. Thus, she ended up closing her eyes, trusting the stranger holding the reins of her horse.

He cursed suddenly, causing a fresh wave of fear and adrenaline to course through Talatha’s body.

“What is it?” she hissed, her eyes flying open to scan the surrounding darkness.

“I can’t see a fogging thing out here,” he said. “I’ll have to Light the way for us.”

Her stomach churned as she considered what that meant. She’d seen the power he’d used back in the town, and the circumstances then had been too terrifying for her to wish to recount.

He held a sword made of Light, she thought, the image coming back to her. Is this like my barriers?

She bit the edge of her lip, thinking of her own powers. It had taken years to get familiar with them, but now that she was used to the Shields, she felt comfortable with how they worked. Or so she’d thought. Based on Wilgren’s reaction to the attack, it was obvious he was very practiced with whatever ability he’d just displayed.

Before she could even consider opening her mouth to ask him about his power, a blue Light erupted in front of them, the man’s frame silhouetted in the brightness there. She winced, covering her face as he grunted.

“I can’t hold this and your reins, so you’re going to have to do your best to guide your horse,” he said.

Talatha could hear his voice get louder, showing that he’d turned around to speak to her, but she couldn’t tell, the Light still blinding her eyes. She nodded, squinting to try to see the features of his face. The Light shifted, moving downward until it was at his chest. Wilgren’s face appeared in view then. Peering around his person, Talatha spotted the source. A minuscule orb of blue Light hovered above his palm. It was no larger than her thumbnail, but the brilliance of the Light lit the shrubbery and trees around them, casting eerie shadows each time he moved.

“Sorry, I’m not a Lighter, so I don’t know what I’m doing,” he said, embarrassed.

Fear melted to curiosity as she considered what she was observing. Questions sped through her mind, but she couldn’t grasp one long enough to voice it. The two traveled in silence for a time. Talatha’s mind was occupied trying to understand what had just happened to her.

“My companions should be around here somewhere,” Wilgren said, “as long as I’ve led us off in the right direction.”

Hearing that he’d brought companions both frightened and comforted her. They had more than one pursuer, perhaps half a dozen. Talatha wasn’t sure how long they’d been traveling, but she glanced upward at the sight of the red moon. Stellan, the first moon, came soon after first dark, so it meant they’d only been traveling for an hour, possibly less.

“Do you think they’ll follow us?” Talatha asked, her voice wavering.

“I would be shocked if they didn’t,” Wilgren said gruffly. “Hence, I’m not thrilled to be holding this beacon in my hand.”

Her eyes flitted downward toward where the bright Light still sat hidden behind his person, her stomach sinking.

She’d not thought of that.

“But I didn’t come alone, and I could have sworn I’d left the others—”

Loud rustling sounded from their right, and Talatha let out a yelp. Wilgren cursed, a brighter flash announcing his Light sword again. Talatha’s mind warred between looking toward where the sound came from and inspecting the odd weapon Wilgren held. A single glance toward the man gripping the weapon reminded her once more just how dire this predicament was. Talatha’s breath sped up, her mind longing for the embrace of her husband and the gentle warmth of her infant son.

“Foggin’ forest, can’ see a bloomin’ thing out ’ere,” an unfamiliar male voice proclaimed.

“Well, I’d Light the way for us, but someone ordered us to stay hidden,” a woman’s voice replied. “Though it appears he’s having a hard time following his own orders.”

“Lanser’s behind. You scared the fog out of me,” Wilgren said, letting his sword disappear.

“And yous blinded the loiks o’ us. Din’ expect yeh back till tomorrow, Willy,” the new man said.

Squinting through the dim, Talatha could barely make out two figures on foot. One of them, a man, had a handlebar mustache and greying hair. He looked to be ten or fifteen cycles older than Talatha. The woman had short brown hair and a small nose. Though it was hard to tell in the dark, she looked to be the same age as Talatha, perhaps younger.

“Who are you?” Talatha asked. She leaned back in the saddle, hoping that it would help her get away from the newcomers.

The older man raised a brow as Talatha’s vision adjusted enough to the bright Light to see more of his expressions.

“Why, Willy, yeh din’ even tell ’er why we came ’ere?” the older man said incredulously. Then he looked back at her. “An’ yeh still came along wif ’im. Willy, Oi’m roit impressed with yer sweet-talkin’.”

“Stop calling me Willy,” Wilgren said through clenched teeth. “And I didn’t sweet-talk her; she’s married, for Lanser’s sake. We were attacked.”

Tension rose in the air as the words registered on the newcomers’ faces. Talatha’s stomach dropped at the mention of her marital status. It was a stinging reminder that she’d just abandoned her husband and son. Her breathing wavered as she tried to keep it in, not wanting to show such personal emotions in front of strangers.

“’Ow many?” the woman asked, her hand reaching down to her sword. “Are yeh ’urt?”

Wilgren shook his head. “Fortunately, no. Seems she’s more adept with her Shields than I could have hoped.”

The two people looked at her and she blushed.

“Well, fog me, tha’s roit lucky of yeh, ain’t it?”

“But I fear we won’t have time. We need to move. I’m not sure we’re out of sight from them yet.”

“It’s Watchloit, then?” the woman asked.

Wilgren nodded, face grim.

Now that the adrenaline had passed, Talatha’s fear filtered through, leaving the shocked anger behind.

“How did you find me? How did they find me?” she said, almost shouting. Though she didn’t understand who “they” were, she had a feeling she might have encountered them long before.

“Gee, miss, yeh wanna get us killed?” the new man said, holding up a gloved hand. “We ain’t ’ere t’ ’urt yeh, mind tha’.”

Wilgren sighed. “This is Turrin and Trease. They’ve accompanied me from our sanctuary. Magness would have come, but she’s a bit indisposed right now.”

Hearing her sister’s name should have brought her comfort, but Talatha was too focused on the situation. Her chest constricted as thoughts of her husband and son left behind plagued her mind. Talatha’s face must have betrayed her thoughts, for Trease furrowed her brow, reaching up to lay a hand on her knee.

“Is somethin’ amiss?”

Tears welled in Talatha’s eyes and she nodded. “My family. I’ve just left them behind. What if those men attack them?”

Wilgren clenched his jaw, looking to his companions as droplets fell down Talatha’s cheeks.

“I’m not so sure about that,” he said, trying to reassure her. “We didn’t even know you had a family. Our Seers only spotted you, and even then, just enough for us to locate you.”

Hearing the words encouraged her, though it took another moment for Talatha to compose herself. She’d been careful—at least she thought she’d been careful. Apparently, she hadn’t in the end. Still, Talatha had always paid particular attention to making sure her barrier was in place when she was ever in the presence of her husband or son. Given that they rarely left the confines of their home, using the barrier inside wasn’t a problem. It was a miracle her husband hadn’t noticed it before, but that was likely due to his waning eyesight with age, and that she kept it thin enough to only shade them from the eyes of watchful Seers.

Talatha’s skin shivered at the thought of strangers watching them.

“How long were you watching me?” she asked, looking at the woman. In response to the look, the woman pulled her hand away. Despite Talatha’s gaze, Wilgren was the one who answered.

“We found you a week ago. Magness had Hilgard make sure to have at least one Seer watching for you at all times. You appeared out of nowhere, even if just briefly. It was enough to get your location. I’m impressed you’ve made it this long without being found.”

Talatha shook her head, trying to keep up with what he said. She didn’t know any Hilgard, yet Wilgren threw the name around as if she should. That wasn’t what distracted her though. Wilgren’s words pulled a memory into her mind, unbidden.

* * *

Talatha grinned at her friend Terivna. The two girls had just snuck from the tavern carrying a few biscuits they’d pilfered. Well, Terivna was the one who’d swiped them while Talatha distracted the owner. It was easy to keep the man’s attention when she faked tears.

“Yeh really ’ad ’im going there,” Terivna laughed. “It wasn’t even that ’ard to grab them and get out.”

Talatha wiped a fake tear from her cheek, chuckling as she took one of the finely baked goods from the girl.

“Boys never know what to do when a girl cries in front of them,” she said, holding her midsection.

At the age of twelve, Talatha found she had little to do in the small fishing town of Arivan. When she wasn’t studying in the afternoons, she was often bored. Terivna was her same age, though a bit older, something Talatha resented in her best friend.

“We’re going to get caught if we stay here longer,” Talatha insisted, biting a sizable chunk out of her bread.

Taking the food wasn’t out of necessity, for they both came from fairly affluent families. It was more of a sport. The tavern keeper was a man known for his greediness, so he wouldn’t miss the bread. The loss would not hinder his ability to care for his family. Still, Talatha felt a small stab of guilt at what they’d just done. Lately, more and more of their escapades resulted in them doing things against the rules.

Rather than let that thought fester in her mind, Talatha pressed it out, nibbling on her biscuit.

“Wha’ do yeh wanna do now?” Terivna said, her eyes full of mischief.

Talatha pressed her lips together, somewhat fearful of what her companion would cook up this time.

“Oh, my ma needs me back home. She’ll want me to help her with supper. My pa’s been having a rough time at the coin house, and he’s not prone to kindness if he gets home and there’s no meal waiting for him,” Talatha replied.

It was an excuse, even if it was somewhat true. Her father was probably the kindest man in the city, at least compared to Terivna and her father, who was caught in drunkenness more often than not.

“Fog that, yer ma will do fine without yeh. ’Ow about we visit the winehouse this time, pinch a little something from there?” Terivna suggested, wiggling her eyebrows.

The girl’s frizzy hair poofed outward as if it hadn’t met the spiny end of a comb for ages, making the girl seem a ridiculous sort of creature. Talatha’s gut twisted at the mention of another bit of trouble, and she shook her head.

“No, you go on. I have to get going.”

Taking a large bite of her biscuit to avoid talking about it any further, she filled her cheeks with the food, grinning wildly so she looked like something of an animal, then spun on her heels and moved quickly away from her friend. Despite Terivna’s complaints and attempts to keep her there, Talatha left quickly, pretending not to hear the words.

Soon she rounded a corner, her friend’s comments lost on the sea breeze that blew over the oceanfront. Within moments, she was at the edge of the wooden pier, enjoying the cool wind and the smell of salt water. Talatha had always loved the sea. She stared longingly at the large ships and fishers’ boats docked just ahead. When she’d spoken to her parents about becoming a fisher, her pa told her it wasn’t befitting a woman. While unsurprising, his response had frustrated her.

Scanning the horizon, Talatha could see waves rolling in from the distance, shrinking smaller and smaller until the peaks became a small hump in the water, lapping against the wooden poles of the pier beneath her. For a moment, she thought she would take a swim in the cool water, but she opted not to. Even if she could dry in time to get home, the salt would solidify into her dress, which was sure to get her a stern talking-to from her ma.

Now that she was alone, Talatha felt acutely aware of the stolen food in her hand, so she shoved it in her mouth, wanting to hide the evidence from anyone who might have seen where she and her friend had come from.

The dryness of the bread caked her mouth, almost choking her a couple times before she could get it down. Tears welled in her eyes from the lack of air. She managed to swallow it just as her brain screamed at her that she wasn’t breathing enough.

“Are you quite alright, then?” a man’s voice sounded from behind her.

Her stomach clenched, her mind warning her that she was in danger, the instincts of a prepubescent girl being confronted by an unfamiliar man. She spun on her heels, wiping her eyes to make sure that any remaining tears from her choking episode were gone.

“I’m fine, thank you, good sir,” she said, looking down at his feet. She’d never been comfortable looking strangers in the eye, let alone an unfamiliar man.

“Glad to hear it,” he replied. “I just thought I heard you coughing a bit there.”

She nodded. “I’m fine, I’m sure of it.”

He smiled, then leaned on the railing of the pier on which they stood, gazing out to the sea and the horizon. That he hadn’t left after checking on her distressed her, and for a moment she thought her feet might pull her of their own accord, drawing her to escape this awkward situation. Before she could act, he spoke.

“I’m afraid to say you may be in danger,” he blurted.

The words sent a wave of panic rocking through her, and this time, nothing could stop Talatha from turning and running from the stranger. As she moved, the man turned, calling to her, but she ignored him. Fortunately, he didn’t follow. Talatha barreled down the pier, feet hitting the hard ground before she ran headlong into another person.

A shocked cry escaped her lips before she fell on her backside, stunned. An aching pain shot up her spine from the landing and she blushed, her face turning the color of fall beets.

“Yeh alroit then, dear? Oi didn’t roit mean t’knock yous down such loik,” the woman’s voice carried over the loud ocean waves.

Keeping her eyes averted, Talatha nodded, hoping the woman wasn’t too angry about Talatha’s carelessness.

A powerful hand gripped her under the armpit, hoisting her upward. Talatha was shocked at the woman’s strength. Still flustered, Talatha took in her appearance, noticing immediately that the woman was dressed in heavy clothing, a mail shirt and cloak over her shoulders despite the warmth of the weather. A heavy sword hung from a sheath on her side.

“Name’s Rowellen,” the woman said. “We’ve been lookin’ all over fer yous.”

We? thought Talatha, wondering who else the woman meant, before she heard heavy footsteps from behind, the man following her from where he’d met her on the pier.

“I don’t know why you bother sending me in to talk to the young ’uns,” the man said behind her. Talatha tensed, waiting for the strong hands of her pursuer, the woman before her, or both to seize her and take her somewhere by force.

“Kids don’t roit loik me, oi’m afraid,” Rowellen spoke.

The man scoffed and rolled his eyes. “So they’re more likely to be comfortable with a burly man with a two-handed sword. So far, exactly none of them have not been afraid of me.”

Rowellen shrugged. “Mayhap yeh should look more friendly, smoil a bit.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m sure that would solve it.”

Talatha watched the exchange, her nerves still heightened but decreasing the longer they stood there. Their conversation perplexed her, especially with her, a stranger girl neither of them knew, standing between them.

“Um, can I go now?” she asked, knowing the woman and man weren’t hemming her in, given that she could just turn to the side and dash away. Talatha guessed the two would just catch up to her quickly. Still, her feet shuffled as they tried to pull her away.

“Oi’m sorry fer the trouble, but we fear we’ve got to roit tell yous somethin’,” Rowellen said. “Mayhap we outta go to yer ’ome, talk to yer ma and pa.”

Talatha inspected the woman closer, her eyes landing on the tall woman’s soft cheeks, wreathed by curly brown hair that cascaded over her shoulders. Her frame was lean and strong, and her large chest poked out through the mail armor she donned there.

The thought of showing these people where she lived struck fear in her chest, and Talatha shook her head wildly. Frowning, Rowellen eyed her companion, who shrugged.

“Roit, fine then. It’s always ’ard t’say it, so oi’ll just be frank,” Rowellen said. “Something’s about t’appen t’yeh, moit be dangerous to yous and folks around about. Be best if yeh just come wif us fer a bit so we can protect yous.”

Talatha blinked quickly, staring back at Rowellen as if she didn’t understand what she’d said. In reality, Talatha understood the words, but none of it registered in her mind. She shuffled her feet again, the draw to run pulling her even stronger now, but she stood there, trying not to let the stress overwhelm her. Heart beating rapidly, Talatha stared at Rowellen.

“What are you talking about? What’s going to happen?” Talatha asked, a brief burst of bravery showing through the panic she felt.

Rowellen grimaced, displeased with having to give more detail.

“We really should speak to your parents,” the man said. “We may be safer in your home. Besides, I wouldn’t want this meeting to be misconstrued as something it actually wasn’t, if you know what I mean.”

Rowellen scoffed, looking down at Talatha with a brow raised. Her face drooped then to a soft frown, realizing how terrified the girl was.

“Ah yes. We can do that roit fine. Can yeh take us to yer house, then?”

Talatha felt backed into a corner. She still didn’t want to take these two strangers to her house, let them see exactly where she and her family lived. At the same time, she didn’t want to run, figuring they’d be able to find her. Talatha hesitated, standing stiff as a board as she contemplated what to say.

“Talatha,” the man said from behind her.

Her eyes widened and her whole body chilled at hearing the unfamiliar man say her name.

“You’ve nothing to fear, I assure you. We know who you are, and it’s very imperative that we get you to safety before something goes wrong.”

Talatha broke then, tears welling in her eyes as she spun on the strange man.

“I don’t even know your name! How can you tell me I have nothing to be scared of when you sneak up on me like that, telling me I’m in danger and then pinning me between you and some brute of a woman!” Talatha cried, her eyes flicking sideways to see if there was anyone who could help her. She spotted a man and woman strolling on the side of the road away from the oceanfront. She thought to call them, but she had the distinct feeling that it wouldn’t go well for her.

“Lancevin,” his deep voice replied. “That’s my name. Is that good enough for you now?”

The chilled feeling diffused momentarily at the revelation of his name, but it soon returned when a steady blue glow shone over her shoulder, illuminating Rowellen’s face and clothing. Curiosity coursed through Talatha as what looked like moonlight appeared behind her. She turned slowly, gasping when she saw a globe of Light about the size of an apple hovering above the man’s hand. He pressed his lips together, somehow embarrassed of all things.

“Talatha, you’re about to become something you won’t understand without our help,” Lancevin said. “Let us help you see what these powers are before you’re struck with them.”

Her mind reeled as she stared at the bright Light. A mixture of terror and wonder filled her at the sight. The urge to run continued to pull at Talatha’s mind, but the curiosity rooted her in place.

Then the screaming started, coming from the town behind her.

* * *

“I was found years ago.” Talatha’s words came out slowly as the memory faded from her mind.

Wilgren started, his mouth dropping open as he looked at her with widened eyes.

“What do you mean you were found?” he pressed.

Talatha wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to let the memory get to her.

“A man and a woman came for me when I was a teenager. They wanted me to come with them, but—something happened and I ran,” Talatha said, her eyes growing distant. “Rowellen and Lancevin.”

Wilgren’s eyebrows shot up and he nodded. “Oh, them. They’re some of our own. I hadn’t realized you were the same lass who slipped through their fingers. Rowellen is still fuming about that one all these years later,” Wilgren said, placing a hand on his chin. “I do have to wonder why they didn’t bother telling me all this before sending us.”

The man called Turrin chuckled heartily.

“Rowellen prolly din’ wanna be reminded o’ the failure.”

Talatha blushed, though she didn’t understand why. She’d not intended to get anyone in trouble or make them look bad. She’d just been scared.

“Regardless of the reason, we should probably get out of here as soon as possible,” Wilgren suggested. “I have a feeling we haven’t reached beyond the tracking abilities of those who attacked us in your hometown.”

Turrin started at the comment and then held out his hand, a flash of bright blue Light creating a sword. A shock ran through Talatha at the sight of the weapon. In the space of such a short time, she’d witnessed two different people using the odd ability. It looked and felt familiar to her but still pressed her with fear.

“How are you doing that?” she asked—out of self-preservation but also out of jealousy. Talatha had done nothing like it before.

Turrin glanced at his sword when it appeared no threat was imminent, then he relaxed, letting the blade tip toward the ground.

“Seems we’ve a lo’ to talk abou’,” Turrin said.

Talatha nodded, wanting to say something else but at a loss for words.

“The sooner we get to Terris Green, the better,” Wilgren said.

That prompted something in her mind. “What is Terris Green?” she asked.

Wilgren smiled. “Our sanctuary. A place for Lightbearers to live in peace.”

Chapter Three

Ten Years Later

Talatha sat with a stiff back, her tailbone aching from the stone seat beneath her. The surrounding cavern echoed every time she shifted, the silence broken by the scuff of her leather boots or the scraping of her scabbard when it slipped against the chair. The room was of medium size compared to the others in the compound. The walls were carved from the grey stone of the mountain above them, as were the table and chairs that adorned the center of the circular room. The space may have been grim if it weren’t for the bright orbs of Light hovering near the ceiling.

Every few paces along the domed ceiling of the room, large orbs of blue Light about the size of a human head hovered as if held by some invisible hand. The steady, piercing Light ensured that the cave, closed off from the outside, had enough light for anyone to move about freely and easily.

She marveled still at the expanse of caverns and tunnels cut into the mountain with ease. Lightbearing could do amazing things. Talatha still had a hard time accepting it all, even after having lived here for years.

Talatha was alone, yet the future of all of Lindrad pressed on her as if the problems flooded the room. Issues pressed at her, expecting her to step up and become the leader they had almost forced her to become.

Her gaze sat unfocused on the opposite wall of the stone cavern as she tried to process what had happened in recent days. A lot had changed since Wilgren and the others had brought her here. She kept her hair tied up, the blonde locks forced to stay out of her face, and she wore battle gear practically all the time. Though impractical, it was prudent for a general to be ready.

Because now Hilgard was dead.

Talatha didn’t know what that meant, for it happened so quickly. Her mind flashed to when she’d first arrived at Terris Green years ago, her three companions relieved they’d made it without too much consequence. That’s when she’d met Hilgard, the man in charge of this sanctuary. Tall, bold, and kind, he’d led them for ten years only to have his life taken by Watchlight.

A soft knock on the door echoed around the cloth-free room, the sound seeming almost too loud for how quiet such a noise should have been. Talatha’s eyes snapped to the entrance, the dark wood of the carved door filling her view. The double door was etched with an intricate tree, faces intertwined here and there within the image. When she first arrived, she’d not expected such fine art to exist within the cut caverns of Terris Green. Everything was stone—tunnels, walls, most of the furniture. The door held great meaning for her now more than ever. Each of the faces carved there were prior leaders of Evenir.

And someday she’d be carved there too.

“Enter,” she said, her echoed response following on the heels of the knock.

The door swung inward, disturbing Talatha’s thoughts on her new position. A woman walked in, her face calm and collected, followed by a man with dark skin, brown eyes, and perfectly kept clothing. In fact, he looked as if everything he wore was brand new, never worn before. Talatha couldn’t help but shake her head at the signs of a Fixer.

“So you have come to see me falling apart, hmm?” Talatha said, her hand slipping to the hilt of her side sword, gripping it.

The woman clicked her tongue, drawing Talatha’s attention to her face. She was tall for a woman and had the same blonde hair as Talatha. She stood there, arms crossed, her green eyes full of something akin to frustration.

“Are you quite done with your wallowing?” the woman asked, straightening her back.

Talatha sighed, then stood up.

“Somehow I knew you’d care little of my thoughts. At this point I would think you’d learn some compassion, Sis.”

She looked directly into the eyes of her sister. Her sister, the one who’d had her chased down ten years prior. Magness looked so much like Talatha.

“If I’d known you’d be such a complainer, I’d have told Hilgard not to bother going to fetch you all those years ago,” Magness replied. “But I suppose a live sister is better than a dead one, even if she whines so much.”

The man accompanying her grimaced at the comment. “I don’t think that’s fair, Magness. There’s a lot to process right now—”

Magness threw her hand upward, interrupting the man.

“Varith, she’s been sitting in here for days while the whole of Evenir is questioning what the plan is. Hilgard is dead. Devastating? Yes, but we can’t spend the rest of our lives dwelling on that.”

Talatha couldn’t help but smile. Her sister had always been that way, ever since they were little. Talatha could never let anything go so easily, even before they’d lost their parents. Magness, on the other hand, pressed any negative emotion down, opting to work harder through the pain and sadness as if it would go away.

“At least I know you won’t have a problem letting it go. I would think that you’d at least take more than a few days to mourn, considering how close you were,” Talatha pointed out, her smile melting away.

Whatever antics Magness cooked up wouldn’t deter from the fact that their leader had been killed and the mantle now fell on Talatha personally. Magness pressed her lips together into a thin line, displeased with the comment. She must have recognized there was something to it, however, for she folded her arms and turned away from Talatha.

“Just because I don’t seem to mourn on the outside doesn’t mean I’m not in turmoil,” Magness said, keeping her back turned. “But I have to admit, I didn’t expect to see you sitting here in the war room as our new leader.”

Talatha raised an eyebrow. “You sound bitter, Mags. I’d have thought you didn’t want this responsibility. You are known for being reckless out in battle, wouldn’t you say?”

The woman grunted, turning around to face Talatha.

“I don’t care what people say; being the first to attack in a battle is almost always tactically advantageous, even if it might seem brute at first. I wouldn’t call that reckless though,” she added, eyeing Varith, who just coughed in response to her statement. “Still, I have to ask. What are we to do now?”

The question left a deeper pit in Talatha’s stomach than was already there. When their former leader died in battle a few days ago, Talatha had never expected the vote to land on her. She’d been here a mere ten years, far shorter than many others, most especially her sister. Magness wasn’t one for ego, but Talatha had to guess that her own appointment to leader over Magness must have stung at least a little.

Talatha’s mind flashed through memory upon memory of Hilgard. He had been the most powerful Lightbearer anyone had known. Hence the immense shock of watching him fall in battle.

“The same as we’ve done for years,” she replied. “Watch for Awakenings and make sure we get them to safety before Watchlight has the chance.”

Whatever answer Magness had expected, this apparently wasn’t the one.

“You mean to say we aren’t launching an attack on Watchlight?” she asked, throwing her hands up in the air for the second time since she entered.

Varith grimaced at the woman’s reaction. “Maybe you shouldn’t be so critical of Tal—Talatha. She was just appointed leader only days ago. How would you feel in her position?”

Talatha winced. She preferred the nickname Tal but was aware of how awkward her peers felt using it now that she was their leader. Her sister was the only one who still felt like she could call her that. Talatha wished it weren’t the case. Magness sighed, Varith’s comment diffusing her frustration.

“Look, Tal, I know this is overwhelming, but you must understand that we can’t keep facing Watchlight like this, not forever. It is going to come to a head. Either we take the fight to them or we let them keep taking lives—the lives of our brothers and sisters.”

As if the weight of the entire organization wasn’t already too heavy for her shoulders, this statement somehow made it feel even heavier. Sitting up straight in her chair, Talatha lifted her head and stared at her sister. She sat there silently, letting her confidence flow through the air until it distilled on Magness.

“If you feel you are better fit for this station, then you are welcome to challenge me for it,” Talatha said, her voice becoming more serious.

While they knew her for being benevolent and friendly, something that lent to her becoming well-known within the compound quickly, they also knew her for her intensity. Ten years here had given Talatha enough time to become a fierce warrior herself.

Magness shrunk, then folded her arms. “As you wish. But there has to be a way for us to witness the Awakenings sooner. If we can just get there before Watchlight does, we would be less likely to provoke them into fighting.”

Talatha considered the comment. They had led expedition after expedition to extract Lightbearers, those who had the gift of Light, and bring them to safety.

Their recent encounters with Watchlight had been perplexing. Goralt, the leader, had insisted for years that he meant to deal peacefully with Evenir and the monarchy of Lindrad. Still, his intent was, and always had been, to set Lightbearers up as rulers—to overthrow the king and set himself up as ruler. But something must have changed. Though violence from them had increased as of late, Talatha would never have expected a warrior such as Hilgard to fall in battle.

Talatha thought for a moment before she voiced an idea she’d been considering for some time.

“We’ll set up a group of Seers to be on constant watch. Should an Awakening appear imminent, with their focus, they could identify them more quickly,” Talatha suggested.

Magness whistled softly. “Now that’s an idea.”

Varith furrowed his brow. “You mean to have a group of Seers doing nothing but watching Lindrad? Do you believe that will change things?”

Talatha nodded. “I’ve learned firsthand the difference of focusing on something rather than letting visions come to you without effort.”

Magness started, taking a step forward. “Firsthand? You mean to say—”

Her sister’s words cut off as she struggled to put them in order. Before she could even finish, Talatha confirmed, “Yes, I’ve gained the abilities of a Seer as well. Should come in handy next time we leave the sanctuary, I think.”

Her sister’s face flushed. Talatha noticed the woman’s jaw tighten as well for a moment before it loosened, and she smiled somewhat forcefully. Though Magness never admitted it, she was still jealous of the fact that Talatha bore Lightbearing powers while she didn’t. Even before Talatha arrived, the enmity had been there, even if it was hidden from plain sight.

“Congratulations! Why, that’s got to be a relief. Lanser knows I had to wait too many years for my second-born gift, and here you are getting yours,” Varith said, clapping his hands.

“That’s great, Tal. I’m glad it showed up,” Magness said, a smile returning to her face after the brief frustration.

“It has helped me see what it’s like to be able to predict events to come. While it’s not foolproof, I do feel it could save us strife should we put the proper focus in the right places. Varith, can you see to this? I think we can start with a half dozen Seers, set to watch the major cities in Lindrad. With any luck, we’ll be able to catch wind of Awakenings long before they happen.”

Perhaps tragedy will strike less often then, she thought, her gaze wandering back to Magness.

“Yes, ma’am, I’ll see to it right away,” Varith said, spinning on his heel. Just before he walked out, he shot Magness a look that seemed to say “don’t be so hard on her” before he pulled the large wooden doors open.

For a moment, Magness and Talatha looked at each other, neither saying anything until Talatha finally spoke.

“I never meant for any of this to happen, you know.”

Magness sighed, looking away from her sister. “I know, but it doesn’t make any of this easier. If you’d have just come with me when you first Awakened, I can’t help but think where we’d be now.”

The comment wasn’t meant to be accusatory, but somehow it still stung. So much might have been different. Perhaps Talatha wouldn’t have been forced to leave her husband and son. Perhaps she’d have met a different man, given birth to children within the sanctuary. Perhaps she wouldn’t have been made the new leader.

As tears forged their way into her eyes, Talatha cleared her throat, looking at the ground to ensure her sister couldn’t see them. Despite her speed in looking away, Magness must have spotted it.

“You should have brought them. We can still get them, your family, so they won’t end up like Mom and Dad.”

Pain. Sadness and pain rocked Talatha so hard, she couldn’t help but gasp quietly. Still, she forced herself upward, sitting straight in her chair to put on the show that she wouldn’t let the past get to her.

Yet the memory flowed back uninvited.

* * *

Talatha rushed through the cobbled stones of her hometown, panic-stricken. Though she couldn’t see exactly where the smoke came from, inside, she knew something was terribly wrong.

Her chest tightened as she heard the loud boots of the two people she’d just fled following her from the pier. While she wished they wouldn’t follow, she cared more about learning where the screaming originated. More screams erupted in the air, echoing on the seaside’s wooden buildings, growing louder and louder as she approached where the smoke rose.

She turned the corner, slamming headlong into a woman standing there with a basket full of clams, the creatures flying everywhere and clattering to the ground.

“Wha’ in the blazes? Wha’ are yeh doin’ runnin’ abou’ loik tha’?” the woman shouted before righting herself and looking furiously at Talatha.

The moment her eyes landed on Talatha, they widened, and she shook her head before looking sidelong at something to their left. Face flushing, Talatha had little time to dwell on the woman’s plight as she spun in the direction of the woman’s glance, her stomach dropping.

Gigantic plumes of flames sprouted over the roof of the neighboring buildings, something there burning to the ground.

Talatha’s mind went numb.

Her feet moved without her permission, rushing toward the shouting and screaming just around the next block. Her heart thumped loudly, the constriction in her chest almost suffocating her, especially now that she was out of breath from her rapid chase. She vaguely heard the man and woman who followed her shouting apologies to the clam carrier, their footfalls once again pursuing her.

Her heart thumping and her mind screaming that it couldn’t be true, she turned the last corner, her boots slipping on the wet stones. Stumbling a bit before she could right herself, Talatha beheld the sight of a storefront and home almost completely burned to ashes. Her home.

Townsfolk watched hopelessly as the structure burned, a few men and women, clearly outsiders, laughing next to them. They each donned pitch-black cloaks and clothing, some with their hoods pulled up to hide their faces, though most had them down as they watched the fire. One of the men sneered at the scene.

“He’ll not have a chance to think about the way he treated us, the fool,” one of the black-clad men laughed, folding his arms as he watched the burning. A couple of his companions laughed with him, though one woman looked upon the burning pile grimly.

Townsfolk watched desperately as a few men threw bucket after bucket of seawater onto the flames to no avail. Women covered their children with their own bodies, horrified at the scene but not wanting to miss the event themselves. Such things never happened in the peaceful sea town.

Talatha couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her numb mind tried to process all that lay before her, but something was not connecting. The world grew quiet around her as the thumping of her heart filled her ears and mind, her breathing labored, her chest constricting.

Everything had been so normal today. Everything was so normal every day. Things like this didn’t happen in Arivan.

Yet her home was gone. She was vaguely aware of a screaming, this one different from the others she’d heard from the distance. This one bore panic, terror, and fury. The sound ripped Talatha back to reality as her eyes focused on a girl screaming at the top of her lungs, running toward the group of black-clad figures and throwing her fists.

Talatha’s stomach dropped for a second time, dread mixing with terror as Magness, her little sister, rushed the onlookers. Her long braided hair, blonde and thick, bobbed behind her as she threw fist after fist, hitting the man who appeared to be the leader of the band. He cursed, stepping backwards to avoid the girl’s meager attempts at attacking him.

“Get off, girl!” the man growled, shoving outward with his hands.

As if struck by some invisible force, Magness’s body flew backwards ten paces, the girl still swinging her fists even as she landed hard on her back, the wind knocked out of her. She groaned, rolling over on her stomach.

Talatha sat there, shocked. Some invisible force had thrown her sister, yet she swore she’d seen Magness glow with a purplish Light as she flew backwards. Still numb from the scene, Talatha’s mind latched on to helping her sister. Once again, her body moved of its own accord as she rushed to crouch next to Magness.

The girl was unconscious, a bruise already forming on her head where she’d struck the cobblestones of the road.

“’Ey! Ain’t that the girl?” another man’s voice sounded over the commotion.

The words seemed to strike Talatha, and she snapped her head upward, searching for the man who’d spoken them. Another black-clad figure, part of the band who Talatha was realizing was likely the reason for her burning home, pointed a gloved finger at her. He was smiling with an eerie satisfaction. She froze, terror washing through her already panic-addled mind. The others in his group turned to follow his finger.

“Well, I’ll be fogged. She came right to us, then,” he said, smiling wickedly as he stalked toward her. Once again, Talatha’s mind urged to run, to get away from this place, but she couldn’t move. She began getting light-headed, her air-deprived lungs screaming at her to breathe, and it was then she realized she’d stopped breathing altogether. Taking advantage of the new lucidity in her mind, she jumped to her feet, pulling roughly on her sister’s arm to drag her away.

She knew it was ludicrous to even think that she could escape the odd figures following their leader toward her, yet Talatha couldn’t leave her sister.

“What do you want from me?” Talatha shouted desperately over the ongoing commotion. A few of the onlookers noticed the interaction, but any men who might have come to her defense were too busy fighting the fire, likely concerned it would spread to the rest of the town.

“Yeah, that’s her all right. I recognize her from the vision,” the grim-looking woman confirmed.

Talatha dropped her sister’s arms, reaching into the pocket of her apron where she held a paring knife. She held it upward, her breath dragging in the smoke-filled air. Though her hand trembled, she held it aloft.

The man chuckled, waving his hand nonchalantly. Talatha’s hand was struck by some force, her arm flipping to the side and the knife flying sideways to clack into the wooden wall of the neighboring building. Before the shock of what had just happened settled in, another form was there, standing a few paces before her. A flash of blue Light made her wince, and the approaching figures grunted in surprise.

Once again, it took Talatha a moment to process the events.

Lancevin stood before her, his hand gripping a weapon that didn’t align with Talatha’s perception of reality. It was a sword, crafted with intricate markings on the blade, the stone at the bottom of the handle and on the pommel large and glorious.

But it glowed with a blue Light—and Talatha could see through it as if it were merely an illusion.

Before she could even try to understand his actions, Lancevin rushed the men, roaring as he swung his weapon.

“Time t’git yeh t’ safety, come now,” a woman said at her side. Talatha recognized the voice as the woman from before.

Rowellen.

Without much of a thought, the tall woman reached down, plucking Magness from the ground and shuffling backwards and around the corner. Talatha, still numb, didn’t follow until Lancevin roared in frustration, a force shoving him backwards until he almost ran into her.

“Run!” he shouted, the command washing over Talatha with a shiver.

She ran.

Before she knew it, she was around the corner where Rowellen knelt over her sister. The woman’s hands hovered over Magness’s head, a steady blue glow of Light formed under her palms until it disappeared. Magness stirred, grumbling something about mean men. She opened her eyes, and Talatha’s breath hitched when she saw her sister’s head.

The bruise was gone.

“Stay ’ere, sounds loik Lancevin could use some ’elp,” Rowellen said, her comment answered by another shout from her companion.

Then she was gone, back around the corner with her own steel sword raised. Talatha’s hand trembled as she gently placed it on her sister’s head. Magness looked to her, making Talatha pull her hand back in surprise.

“What in the fog—” Magness said, eyes still unfocused, “I thought my head ached something awful, but it’s gone now.”

Sounds of steel and grunting echoed around the street, purple and blue light flashing in an eerie fashion. While Talatha’s curiosity threatened to get the better of her, the fear still deep in her chest kept her from peeking around the edge of the building.

“What—happened?” Talatha said through gritted teeth. She clenched her jaw, her emotions flashing back and forth from terror to anger.

Magness narrowed her eyes. “You mean to blame me for what’s happening?”

Talatha shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “No, why would you even say that?”

This time, her sister’s eyes widened, and she looked away. “They asked where you were; I didn’t know that by telling them, it would end up like this.” Magness’s lip trembled, her voice breaking. “Do you think—Ma and Pa were inside when—”

Unable to finish the words, Talatha’s younger sister’s face dropped into her hands and she sobbed. Empathy wrapped its way warmly through Talatha’s chest, but the fear, anger, and sadness prevented her from doing more than placing a firm hand on her sobbing sister’s shoulder. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, sounds of footsteps echoed on the walls of the narrower street.

“There yeh are, yeh li’l wench,” a woman’s voice said. “Yeh’re comin’ wif me now.”

Magness screamed, throwing her arms over her head to defend herself. Talatha, still terrified, instinctually stepped in front of her sister. Though she felt she might faint at any moment, she stood, both hands gripped tightly, knuckles white. Her fingernails dug into her palms, the pain giving her more confidence than she might have expected.

The woman laughed. “’Tis not ’er that oi want. ’Tis yeh.”

Talatha’s stomach dropped, and her bravado died with it. She didn’t know why she’d thought the black-clad figures wanted her sister. Taking a stumbling step backwards, Talatha momentarily forgot her sister was crouched behind her, and she almost tripped on Magness, stumbling.

“Come ’ere, then, ain’ no toim fer—”

As the woman took a menacing step forward, pain wracked Talatha’s stomach, and it forced her to double over. Thinking it to be pain from her fright, Talatha closed her eyes, lost in the intensity. All at once, the fear and anger melted away, leaving her unable to think of anything but bearing the excruciating, pulsing pain ripping through her midsection.

The approaching woman cursed, jumping backwards. Magness, confused, recovered from her own fright and watched the woman back away warily.

Talatha was almost to the point of fainting from the intensity. Her stomach twisted in pain, and a bright flash of blue Light emanating around her, easily visible in the darkening street. Eyes wide, she looked up to see a dome of Light formed around her and Magness, who now clung to her tightly .

“What’s happening?” her sister whispered, her grip trembling on Talatha’s arm.

“Fog it!” the black-clad woman said before turning and running. Before making it too far, the dome exploded outward, slamming into the woman’s back as she fled. It immediately snuffed out then. She pitched forward with a surprised grunt, landing hard on her face.

A second dome appeared, the new Light making Talatha wince. As with the first, the dome hovered for a moment before pressing outward rapidly, shoving firmly into the wall of the building next to them. The wood cracked, breaking inward from the pressure of the dome’s force. The unconscious woman on the ground was thrown ten more paces, her limp form tumbling on the cobbles until it slammed into the neighboring building and continued to lie still. Once again, the dome disappeared as quickly as it had formed.

Talatha felt weak, and she slumped to the ground.

She barely had anything in her to react when another figure dashed around the corner. Though her chest tightened in fear, it soon dissipated as she saw thick brown curls.

“Wha’ in the name o’ Lanser ’appened ’ere?” Rowellen said, looking around them to see the shattered wood and unconscious woman.

Talatha looked up at her, mouth opening to give an answer when shouting came from behind.

“A little help here!” Lancevin shouted, rushing forward. The sight of red dripping through his hands made Talatha’s stomach turn. Movement behind him caught Talatha’s attention, her hairline tingling as she noted four of the black-clad figures chasing after him.

Something inside Talatha burned, and she ground her teeth together, some sort of power within her bursting with energy. Suddenly, another dome of Light exploded outward from her, encapsulating her and her three companions. The chasing enemies slammed headlong into the barrier, grunting from shock and pain as they fell in shambles on the ground outside of the dome.

Lancevin, eyebrows raised in shock, spun on his heel, the weapon of Light flashing quickly through the dome, taking advantage of the shocked pursuers. In a moment, their corpses lay on the ground.

Talatha shivered, her breathing labored from the terror she still felt from the attack. Her parents were gone, her sister almost dead herself, and now an unseen force wreaked havoc on her mind. She was almost too scared to inspect her handiwork, but in the end, the glow drew her eyes to the dome of Light she somehow knew she’d created.

“Well, that’s fogging lucky for us. Knew you’d Awaken at some point, but that timing was just impeccable. That Shield you can make will protect us from harm and from watchful eyes if you keep it up as we travel,” Lancevin said, stumbling forward until Rowellen moved to meet him.

“Good thing too, ye’ve made good work o’ gettin’ yourself skewered, ’aven’t yeh?” the woman said, reaching forward and touching the man’s bloodstained hand. The same slow pulsing of blue Light shone through the woman’s fingers, then Lancevin sighed.

“Also glad I have you to follow me around like an annoying little sister. How many times have you bailed me out of my impending death?” Lancevin asked.

Rowellen rolled her eyes but didn’t answer the question.

Talatha stared, still confused. “What—what do you mean protect us from watchful eyes?”

Lancevin grinned, his attention now back on her.

“Seers,” he said. “They have a nasty way of getting into everyone’s business. That’s how we found you, and that's probably how they did too.”

The man hooked his thumb casually over his shoulder, pointing back toward the small pile of bodies.

Talatha was overwhelmed and she felt sick. She wanted to say something, but her tongue wouldn’t work.

“How did you do all that? What are you people?” Talatha asked, standing up after finally regaining consciousness.

Lancevin smiled broadly, but Rowellen grimaced as if she didn’t want to broach the topic.

“Lightbearers, something you, Talatha, have just become yourself,” he replied.

Talatha’s mind screamed at her, and her chest felt so tight, she could hardly breathe. That’s when her feet took over. She stood, spun on her heel, and fled the scene, leaving her sister behind with the two strangers. While her conscience shouted for her to return, her heart hoped that Magness would be all right, left with the two people who had just defended her for reasons she still didn’t understand.

Talatha heard her sister calling after her, telling her to stop.

But she didn’t.

* * *

“Our parents are dead because of me,” Talatha said. “I won’t have my husband and son coming to the same fate.”

Though her voice remained calm, there was a hardness there that made Magness concede.

A silence momentarily settled on the two until Talatha felt something stir inside of her. She gasped, her eyes widening of their own accord. Though the world melted around her, Talatha knew her eyes must have filled with blue Light, the telltale sign of a Seer.

Then she saw it, the very scene that reminded her all too much of her own Awakening that terrible day on the streets of Arivan when she’d lost more than just her parents. The sting of her decision to run still cut deep in her heart, but soon Talatha was lost in the vision.

After only a moment, it was done.

“What is it? What did you See?” Magness pressed, the earlier conversation lost to the unexpected interruption of the vision.

Talatha sighed, pressing her lips together. She had Seen a man, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, serving in the T’Arren Vale militia. Though she hadn’t Seen the event of his Awakening, it was clear he would Awaken soon. Such a lack of details in a vision was unusual; normally, visions were very detailed. Furrowing her brow, she gazed at her sister.

“Another Awakening is to come, in T’Arren Vale. I could not See too many details, which is odd,” Talatha replied, putting her finger to her lips in thought.

Magness stepped back in surprise.

Varith sighed, surprising Talatha by his return. Her musings had distracted her enough that she hadn’t heard him enter. “And here I was glad to have just returned from our last trip.”

Talatha ignored his words for a moment before putting a hand up. “I think you should stay, Varith. You too, Magness. I mean to go with the fetching party myself. Something feels different about this Awakening.”

Magness shook her head. “No, you’re the appointed leader here. You can’t risk yourself. If Watchlight shows up first and—”

Talatha raised her palm upward, stopping her sister’s words.

“Whatever you say, it won’t change my mind,” she insisted. “Come, we’ve a new Lightbearer to save.”

Chapter Four

The sound of the horses’ hooves was muffled by the forest floor and the expanse of nature surrounding them. Though no one spoke, Talatha could hear chittering creatures hiding in the brush and brambles. The air was thick, a rain recently passed over, leaving a humidity that pressed at her lungs. Some might have disliked the feeling of the heavy air, but Talatha appreciated the freshness.

They’d missed the storm, having holed themselves up in a cave that served as a stocking point for their men and women. Talatha had joined the scouting party years ago that had identified this cave. Now it was stocked with provisions, well hidden by thick patches of brambles. A dozen other men and women, many of them Lightbearers, followed Talatha’s lead as they moved through the dimming forest.

A chuckle sounded from her left, and Talatha peered over to see Lancevin riding next to her, his hair rustling in the breeze that filtered through trees.

“I can’t help but think of the time Rowellen and I found you all those years ago,” the man said wistfully before turning to look at her with a sad expression. “Back when Rowellen was still alive.”

He likely didn’t intend the comment to be depressing. It was clear from his tone and the way he said it, but still it hung heavy on her heart. Rowellen’s death two years ago hadn’t been Talatha’s fault, but she still felt responsible for it. She was the one who’d convinced Rowellen to join them on the journey for another Awakening, but Watchlight had been there long before them. Though they’d prepared for an ambush, the destruction had taken Rowellen’s life.

Shuddering at the memory of the day, Talatha pressed her lips together and faced forward, looking toward their next quarry. It seemed death befell them more and more each time. Opposition to their objectives seemed to be increasing as of late. Talatha wished they could protect themselves better, but the very organization which opposed them bore the same gifts of Light.

“I’d rather not dwell on Rowellen’s passing any more, especially given the circumstances. I have a feeling we won’t be the only ones chasing after this boy,” Talatha pointed out. “Not with the potential he has.”

Lancevin’s wistful expression darkened, and he turned away, lapsing into silence once again. Talatha knew the man for his chatty nature, but the mention of potential danger ahead could change even the brightest person’s demeanor in an instant.

One thing Talatha knew was that this boy, the one they sought in T’Arren Vale, was an anomaly they couldn’t have expected. Now that Talatha had lived with Evenir for years now, she understood the complexities of Lightbearing far more than she had before. Yet new things came up more often than any of them could anticipate.

Talatha ducked under a protruding pine branch. Such were the hazards of traveling through the dense forest while avoiding the path. She knew it wasn’t the most practical of places to travel, but she couldn’t justify moving on the open road for fear that their enemies would follow the same path, preventing them from reaching their destination in a prompt manner.

The scene Talatha had Seen in her vision was far enough into the future that this detour was possible. Yet grumbles and groans from her companions behind still sounded as they trudged through the brush and dense foliage.

“What exactly did you See again?” Lancevin said, breaking the silence.

Talatha narrowed her eyes, recalling the vision.

“I wasn’t able to See his Awakening, that’s the first part of it. Since I’ve gained my Seer abilities, not once has the actual event of the person’s Awakening been veiled from my eyes. Though I may be new to the gift, I’ve consulted other Seers, and they’ve confirmed what I know to be true. Such details are well within our Sight’s ability. Yet in this case, I only Saw his face and that his Awakening was powerful, so powerful that I couldn’t discern the finer details of the event.”

Lancevin grimaced. “And you haven’t even Seen the time of the event, is that right?”

Talatha’s insides twisted, but she appreciated her friend’s bold comment.

“I know we’re ahead of it, that’s all I can say. The exact time and day of the Awakening is something I don't know. Though I’ve looked thrice since, the details are still out of my reach. As far as I know, no Seer has experienced this before now.”

Her companion grunted, shaking his head, and rustled in one of his saddlebags, pulling out a bit of dried meat, tearing a piece off with his mouth and chewing loudly. Such a sound might have driven Talatha mad if it weren’t for the constant nature sounds filtering through the trees. Talatha frowned, trying to focus on the details of what she’d Seen when she was conversing with her sister in the war room. As she’d explained to Lancevin just now, she had little information about their quarry, save that he would Awaken, his face, and his name.

Avryn.

“We’re roit close now, aren’t we?” another man’s voice came from behind. Turrin had insisted on joining her when she’d chosen to set out. Talatha was grateful he’d helped her fend off Magness’s demands to follow along.

“Yes, within the hour,” Talatha said, looking sidelong at the woman who rode alongside Lancevin. Her dark hair was cut short and curled tightly to her skull. Her likewise dark skin allowed her to blend in with her surroundings when night fell.

“Correct. As long as we keep moving southwest, we should arrive soon,” she confirmed.

“Thank you, Alsry,” Talatha said before sighing. “One of these days, I should pore over maps as you have. I fear you’ve made me lazy with your knowledge and skills with cartography.”

Alsry grunted. “I think you’ve better things to worry about right now, ma’am. Leave the menial work to us while you worry about the fate of Lindrad.”

Lancevin and Turrin both chuckled at the comment. At some point, Talatha hoped to understand more about the hardened woman, but she packed that thought away, focusing on their goal.

Evenir, the group she had only just been appointed leader for, was one of only two known safe havens for Lightbearers, people with the gifts of Light. Evenir’s only objective was to offer a place for Lightbearers to learn their gifts, safe from the rest of Lindrad, who she’d learned still feared their powers. With the ability to foresee Awakenings, they’d extracted most Lightbearers before their friends and family discovered them, sweeping them away to the sanctuary.

If they could get there first.

Watchlight was the other known gatherer of Lightbearers, though their intentions were far less diplomatic. In addition to their vastly different desires, a few other things distinguished them from her own people. They were more forceful and violent, caring little for human life, save those with Lightbearing themselves.

And their Light was purple.

Talatha breathed in deeply, suppressing a shudder that threatened to expose her discomfort at the thought of Watchlight’s corrupted Light. The first time she’d experienced it was when her childhood home burned to the ground before her eyes, her parents gone forever. She wished that was the only time she’d witnessed the purple Light’s destruction, but it wasn’t so. Countless times she’d fought it, and countless times it had taken lives. Not the least of which was Rowellen’s a couple years ago.

Talatha steeled herself, relaxing her face to make sure her emotions wouldn’t betray her. Though none of her companions looked at her, she knew the importance of keeping a strong face when emotions ran high. Such was the burden a leader bore when thousands of lives rested on their shoulders.

In time, they arrived at the walls of T’Arren Vale. The militia guard stationed there glared at them as they did any newcomers. The tall stone walls extended upward, turrets stationed every hundred paces along the length. A thick iron gate protruded down slightly from the top of the opening in the wall, retracted for the day. Though guards didn’t block their way, Talatha had the distinct feeling that their entrance wouldn’t go unnoticed. Word would be sent of such a large group’s arrival. She nodded cordially to the foremost of the guards, a husky man who looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else than standing guard at one of the city’s main entrances.

As soon as they entered, realization struck Talatha that they didn’t know where to find the boy in question. On such journeys, Hilgard would have an accompanying Seer look for the quarry beforehand so they didn’t draw unnecessary attention to themselves with glowing eyes. Now they drove their mounts through the busy streets of the bustling capital of Lindrad. Austere buildings behind large iron gates showed places where the elite lived, while paupers and peasants mulled around selling wares and shouting to find the best buyer. Although it wasn’t uncommon to ride horses through the wide streets of the city, Talatha found that their large numbers attracted too much attention.

At length, she ordered her men to station their horses at the stable of one of the local inns. She hoped they could find the fellow, persuade him to come along with them, and be on their way long before Watchlight could find them.

The closest inn’s lobby was full of travelers much like themselves, laughing and drinking despite the earliness of the night. Though darkness would fall within a few hours, Talatha still couldn’t believe how many men were drunk to the teeth and drinking yet more.

“Don’t make fools of yourselves, please. If you must drink, keep it within reason,” Talatha told her companions.

Turrin, the jolly old fool he was, nodded with a glint in his eye, slipping between a couple of crowded tables to the bar, and slammed a fist on the rough wood counter. A few others followed, but the majority stayed by Talatha’s side.

“I’ve got to find somewhere private to find the boy we’re looking for,” Talatha told them. “Until we see evidence of Watchlight’s presence, it’s likely wiser if we stay apart, keeping watch. We don’t want to overwhelm the poor boy with our numbers.”

Nods and words of agreement sounded from her companions.

“Stay here, eat and rest, talk to the natives and see if we can’t get ahead of any news of black-cloaked figures in the city. Pray refrain from getting rooms to rest until I can do my search for the boy.”

At that, her companions scattered in the tavern, finding space at tables here and there, striking up conversations with the locals. A booming laugh from the counter drew Talatha’s attention there, where she spotted Turrin already nursing an ale and joking with the barkeep.

Sighing, she turned to see Lancevin had remained by her side. He gazed warily at the older man making such a ruckus.

“He’s going to get himself in trouble one of these days,” Lancevin said, shaking his head. “I’d have thought he’d learn from his youth that drinking didn’t lend him anything other than a cracked skull.”

Talatha couldn’t help but chuckle at the comment. Turrin was known for his jovial attitude toward almost everything. He’d told them many a tale of his adventures and trials, most of which included him being inebriated in some fashion.

“Turrin will be fine. He’s more than just a good fighter. I suspect by the end of this he’ll be the one coming to me with useful findings,” Talatha replied, but Lancevin folded his arms, unimpressed by Turrin’s behavior.

She reached up and placed a hand on the older man’s arm, making him jump. He looked at her, eyes full of something, a fondness that ran deep. Her gut wrenching, Talatha looked past it, unwilling to recognize whatever potential feelings he had for her. He had never confessed anything of the sort, but he was almost always by her side. That spoke realms more than any words he could speak.

She could never return such feelings. Her heart still belonged to the simple fletcher in her hometown. Emotion roiled inside of her as she longed to see her husband and son. Talatha missed them dearly even now, and more than once she’d been tempted to retrieve them but refrained, fearing to draw them into the war. Their ignorance protected them more than anything. Shaking her head to return to herself, she nodded subtley to Alsry, who’d just settled into a table with one of their other companions.

“Pray ask Alsry to come along,” Talatha ordered. “I’ll be asking for a meeting room so I can See in private. I think it best if the three of us take up locating and convincing the boy of his future.”

Lancevin bowed slightly. “Of course, milady,” he replied, moving off to retrieve the woman, who folded her arms as if she wanted to be anywhere else but in this inn lobby.

Talatha moved to the bar, where Turrin still occupied one barkeep with one of his lofty stories of the past. She overheard just a part of it and recalled Turrin gracing her with the same story when they’d first met ten years ago. He claimed he’d rescued a maiden from certain death, captured by some sea creature in the seas just outside of Port Lindle.

Shaking her head, she got the attention of a portly older man who she assumed was the innkeeper as Lancevin and Alsry joined her.

“M’lady? Wha’ do yeh need, then?” he asked, his eyes flicking down to her side sword then back to her face.

The man rubbed his grubby hands together then on the smock he wore over his simple clothing. Deep-set wrinkles trailed out from the sides of his eyes and in his forehead, showing his age. The innkeeper peered over her shoulder at her companions. Talatha snapped her fingers to get the man’s attention.

“Do not worry about me and my companions, we are not wont to offer you troubles this day, we only request a day and perhaps night’s rest, then we’ll be on our way,” she assured him. Her soothing words took some effect, his posture relaxing, but his ever so slightly widened eyes betrayed his real nervousness.

“Sure, sure. Wha’ do yeh need from me, then?” he repeated, clearing his throat as his voice failed him on the last word.

“I need a private meeting room, if you have one, for just a half hour’s time,” she said, reaching into a pouch she had strung over her shoulder. “I will pay you if you’d oblige.”

The man’s eyes flicked down to her pouch, watching for what she was about to pull out. She held her hand inside, unwilling to let him see the extent of the fortune she bore. Though it wasn’t lofty amounts of money, she made sure to carry enough to buy them all they needed for their travels. The sum would be far more than most had in the capital city.

The innkeeper licked his teeth, still staring at her bag before cracking his neck, his gaze returning to her face.

“Bad luck, that, oi’m plum outta meetin’ rooms now. Could offer yeh a room fer the noit, bu’ yeh’d ’ave t’ pay three toims the proice,” he said smugly.

Though her chest boiled with annoyance, Talatha held her emotions in check, keeping her face even and a slight smile in place. She had sufficient money to meet the demand, but she had a feeling the man lied. Still, urgency pressed her, reminding her that any delay could give the black-clad enemy an advantage over them in finding the boy.

“That should do just fine,” she said, handing the innkeeper the coins. His eyes widened, betraying the lie he tried to veil without success.

“Oi moit ’ave forgot abou’ the early entrance fee, ’tis early fer yeh to start usin’ the room, so tha’ will cost yeh,” the man said, greediness glowing in his eyes.

Lancevin growled quietly, just enough for Talatha to hear his displeasure with the treatment, but Talatha held her hand out to block the man’s inevitable confrontation with the innkeeper.

“If that’s the case, I don’t need your rooms. There are plenty of inns close by. Pray return my funds and we’ll be on our way,” Talatha said, holding out her hand.

While frustration roiled within her own gut at the innkeeper’s greed, she knew the more diplomatic approach would lend them more aid than force would. Eyes widening, the innkeeper shook his head wildly, his dirtied smock flapping with his large belly.

“Oh, roit yeh are. Oi’ll—uh—waive tha’ fee, of me own kindness,” he said, though his eyes flicked to where Lancevin still seethed behind her.

“How very kind of you,” Talatha said, pulling her hand away, eyes glinting. When the innkeeper didn’t move at once, she raised an eyebrow. “Our room, if you will.”

The innkeeper’s gaze was still stuck on Lancevin, and based on the way his eyes flicked downward, she assumed he was inspecting the man’s waistline for weapons. It likely appeared odd for an armored man like him to bear no blade, but Lancevin could Conjure one at any moment. A non-Lightbearer wouldn’t understand that. Flustered once again, the innkeeper reached under the counter and fiddled for a moment before producing a key.

“Up the stairs and t’ the roit. Room four fer yer—pleasure,” he replied, then paled when Alsry was the one to grunt this time. Unlike Lancevin, she bore a pair of fine daggers, one on each hip. That plus her serious eyes would have been enough for any dog to run away with its tail between its legs.

“Keep your tongue in check, sir. Does no man good to be assuming anything of our intentions,” Alsry scolded him.

Clamping his mouth shut, the innkeeper spun on his heel and busied himself with cleaning up the bar. Sighing at the waste of their funds, Talatha moved off toward the stairs to the upper floor. It seemed as if each stair creaked louder than the first, and at one point, she thought the stair would buckle under Lancevin’s weight, given his bulky nature, but it held. Soon enough they reached a wooden door with the number four burned into the middle.

Inside, they found a single bed and small side table, but no other furniture. A fresh-dipped candle stood atop the table within a simple brass stand. For such a price, Talatha would have hoped there’d be at least a chair, but there was none to be found. Sighing once more at the innkeeper’s greed, she slipped inside the small room and gestured for her companions to follow. As the door latched, she turned to them, glancing at the small window, which was the only source of light in the dim room.

“Lancevin, light the candle, if you will. Alsry, check the window for any listeners,” Talatha ordered, the two nodding in response and moving off to complete her requests.

Talatha found her seat on the edge of the wooden frame, though it was far from anything comfortable. Once again, the creaking of wood showed the age of the establishment.

“No one out the window, and this room faces the wilderness. No passersby to overhear us,” Alsry said, moving away from the open window. She leaned against the wall and folded her arms somberly.

Talatha nodded.

“I need to find the boy. It should only be a few moments. Depending on where he is, it may be in our best interest to find him right away. Be prepared to leave,” she said, glancing at the window where the sunlight was fading.

Lancevin grunted. “Would be better than staying in here all night. I wouldn’t want to give that man any more money for more meager rooms.”

Alsry said nothing but folded her arms, eyes smoldering.

Talatha chose not to reply to the comment, knowing that if it all went well, they’d be out of this room soon enough. With a deep breath, Talatha allowed her mind to clear and the Seeing to take effect. Her eyes widened of their own accord, a steady warmth flowing from them into her head. Then the world melted away.

Though she was still new to the gifts of a Seer, she couldn’t help but appreciate how natural it felt, much like her Shielding. She didn’t have long to revel in the feeling as the swirling colors coalesced into an image of the boy, not quite a man but becoming hardened by continuous training. He appeared about seventeen cycles old, if even that. Despite his youth, his arms and chest were toned, visible through the mail shirt he wore. When she’d first Seen him, Talatha knew he was a soldier, but now her vision of him was clearer.

As usual, she could only vaguely access her senses from her physical body, distanced by the vision itself. Lancevin said something, which at first she didn’t understand, but the echoed words finally distilled in her mind enough for her to process them. He’d just asked if the quarry was close.

“Yes,” Talatha said, though it took much effort to control her physical lips when she was separated from her body. The words echoed loudly in her vision, but she could sense distantly that the message was also delivered back in the inn’s room.

The strangest thing about Seeing was that she knew exactly where he was. Even with her limited knowledge of T’Arren Vale, she understood where Avryn was and the time of the vision. She was seeing the present.

The boy, eyes as blue as the sky, long, light brown hair tied back in a tail, walked along a road, his arm around the shoulders of a larger man. His companion was a brute, to be sure, at least half a size larger than their quarry and looking twice as mean. Though Talatha didn’t recognize this man, not having seen him in the first vision of the boy’s Awakening, she tried to memorize his appearance just in case. Black hair cropped close to his scalp sat well maintained on the larger man’s head, and his dark green eyes bore something. Was that anger? The two conversed with each other, headed somewhere with purpose. She felt her teeth clench in worry. Trying to speak to the boy alone could prove troublesome.

Talatha was aware of the conversation between the two and could have listened in, but instead, she pulled herself back to her physical form, the sensation somewhat odd as she felt a tugging in her gut.

With a gasp, she returned to the room.

Alsry tensed, her hands going to her daggers. “What? Is there trouble?”

Talatha shook her head, placing her hand on her temple to regain her bearings. “No, not at all. I’m just trying to get used to coming back from visions, nothing more.”

Alsry relaxed, folding her arms once again in front of her.

“I’ve found him. He’s close to here, thank Lanser,” she said, standing quickly from her bed. She fingered the key in her hand, pressing the sharp edges into her palm, trying not to feel nervous. Though she’d not seen any signs of trouble, she feared that if it came, it would come quickly and without warning.

“Now we try to convince him to leave with us,” Talatha said.

This was always the hardest part, trying to explain someone’s potential to them without them panicking. Without warning, emotions bombarded her that she’d experienced when Rowellen and Lancevin tried to convince her to come with them years ago. She had run, fearing the news they brought and the events of that day.

Standing taller, attempting not to let the emotions of that experience cause doubt within her, she walked to the door and opened it.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t flee,” Lancevin said almost humorously.

He likely didn’t intend for the words to sting, but they did nonetheless.

Chapter Five

The streets bustled with people moving to and fro, conversations overlapping and overwhelming Talatha as she pressed through them. When they’d left the inn, she’d instructed the others to stay put, hoping that if just three of them left, it would bring far less notice to the group. The market was in full force this day. Well-dressed fellows led entourages through the tables, hurried merchants carried baskets and bags of their wares through the throng.

Even as they pushed through the crowd, Talatha was relieved they didn’t stand out amongst the other travelers visiting the capital. Given that it was the center and the most important city in all of Lindrad, Talatha had forgotten how often visitors came to the town in search of the best stock in anything or to find their next adventure. Her eyes caught a woman wearing thick fur, the animal skin covering her from head to foot. Talatha grimaced, feeling hot just by looking at her.

Another man walked around almost naked, his chest bare and his bottom half covered only by a small skirt of cloth and mail. He carried a narrow spear tied to his back by a leather cord.

“I’m thinking we should reconsider our wardrobe back in Terris Green. If we have the option of being bare, why wear any clothes?” Lancevin said, chuckling.

Alsry shot him a death look, giving her opinion on the matter without even having to speak words.

“I’d like to see you face Watchlight in that garb. They’d cut you head to foot without so much as a blink,” she replied.

“Come now, Als, I’m quicker on my feet than that, even you’ve seen me with a Conjured spear,” he said, patting the woman on the back.

Alsry raised her hand, Moving Lancevin’s palm back, his entire arm wreathed in blue Light.

“Stop that!” Talatha hissed, her eyes scanning the surrounding people. With the thickness of the crowd, she hoped no one saw Alsry’s brazen use of Lightbearing in public. “You want to get us kicked out of here? Lanser’s sake, keep your Light hidden.”

She hated berating them, but Lightbearing had become nothing more than a myth, or at least people acted as if that were the case. During their journeys to extract Lightbearers from the rest of the population, Talatha and the others could often do so without too much consequence. Sometimes, however, Watchlight would be there.

Lightbearing was exposed then.

When none of the surrounding passersby paid any extra attention to their presence, Talatha relaxed. People moved and bumped into her, the contact creating a rising panic inside of her. All it would take was a subtle attack from anyone in the throng for Talatha and her companions to be overcome. Based on the lack of black-garbbed Watchlight members, she didn’t detect any immediate threat. Still, her breath increased and her heart thumped in her chest, the feeling resonating into her head.

Pressure in her chest urged her to move on. They still had no idea when this boy would Awaken, let alone to what. Depending on the powers he manifested, it could be dangerous for those near him. Not to mention he was older than usual. As if reading her mind, Alsry spoke in her gruff tone. “What did you say he looked like?”

Talatha didn’t pause but kept pushing through the throng, stepping roughly on another woman’s feet and being awarded with a curse and some choice words. Smiling apologetically, Talatha spoke backwards, almost shouting.

“He has long hair, light brown, and his eyes are about as blue as my own,” she said. “I think he’s about seventeen, perhaps eighteen.”

Alsry grunted. “Are you sure about that? That’s the oldest Awakening we’ve ever seen, if you’re right.”

Talatha nodded, then realized her companions likely weren’t watching her head as they moved.

“Yes, that’s what concerns me. What I Saw of his Awakening was almost impossible to perceive, as if I was being blinded by the sheer force of it.”

“Is that him, then?” Lancevin shouted.

At first Talatha didn’t hear him, or at least she didn’t process the comment until he grabbed her shoulder. Instincts coursed through her limbs and she spun, one hand reaching to her sword, the other held upward in the process of summoning her Shield.

Heart racing, she locked eyes with Lancevin, then shook her head.

“Sorry, I’m a mite bit tense,” Talatha admitted.

He raised an eyebrow. “I see that. Look there, just across the square.”

She followed Lancevin’s gaze, scanning the unfamiliar road until her eyes landed on a lad wearing mail with a long sword at his side. His long hair flowed free, framing his face. The waning sunlight reflected off the man’s eyes, the intense blue visible from where they stood across the square. Her mind locked on the image, recognizing him at once as if she’d seen him in a dream.

In a way, she had.

“That’s him,” she said, changing direction and pressing through the crowd once more. When a taller man stopped right in front of her to have a conversation with another fellow, frustration rose in her chest.

“Excuse me, sir, I’m just trying to get through,” Talatha said.

The man ignored her.

“Excuse me,” she tried again.

Once again, he continued to talk, blocking her path. The urge to create a Shield and press it outward, shoving him and everyone else in the fogging crowd out of the way distracted her, but she breathed deep. She knew that would make matters worse, and she didn’t want to risk losing this lad.

With a firm hand, she slapped the man on the shoulder.

“’Ey! Wha’ do yeh think yer—”

The man froze, eyes wide, as he took in Talatha’s features.

Her eyes glowed with a steady blue Light, intense and bold. The man tripped over himself trying to step out of her way, and Talatha let her eyes fade. He fled in the direction they needed to go. To her, it appeared the world melted away as she saw an overhead view of herself and her companions, but to the man, she looked something of a terror, a witch or something like it. His companion must not have seen her glowing eyes, for he peered at her, waving a hand in the air as if to say he didn’t have time for this, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Lancevin grunted. “I thought you said we shouldn’t use our Light.”

Talatha tilted her neck, cracking the spine. “He was being unreasonable. Besides, everyone will think him crazy if he says anything.”

Talatha cursed as she realized the man she’d just scared had run directly to the boy they were here to retrieve. Waving his hands wildly, the man told the tale of what he’d just seen, their quarry’s brow furrowing in confusion.

“Oh Lanser’s beard, now you’ve gone and alerted one of the militia, and the one we need at that,” Lancevin spouted. His broad smile was clear in the way he spoke.

“Fog it,” Talatha cursed. “This should make things more interesting.”

At the conclusion of the man’s story, he stepped away from the militiaman, walking backwards with an eye on Talatha and her companions before spinning on his heel and rushing off once more. Talatha gritted her teeth as they watched their quarry give them a curious look before walking over to them. Talatha fingered her skirt, trying to stay calm. She wasn’t afraid of the militiaman. If necessary, they could escape in a pinch, even if it meant they needed to use their gifts. Yet she struggled with the right words to say to him.

She also didn’t want to mess up.

Her thoughts again drifted to the fateful day in Arivan, the town on the edge of the sea, where she ran from Lancevin. It seemed ironic that he would now be one of those to accompany her in convincing this young man of his fate. Forcing a cordial smile, Talatha waited until the soldier was within earshot, which was uncomfortably close given the tumult of the market.

For a moment, he stood there, his gauntleted hands on his hips, chest confidently upright. Talatha guessed he adopted the pose as a way to intimidate them, induce fear in a way that only a militiaman could in a city such as this.

Talatha resisted the urge to laugh. In her days before becoming the leader of Evenir, she’d have cowered before someone like this. Now she knew she could best him in a sword fight, having years of practice herself, not to mention her Lightbearing.

“Hello, good sir,” she said, smiling broadly. “You are the soldier we’ve been looking for.”

The soldier shifted on his feet, watching them silently for a moment. Talatha took the moment to inspect him, realizing that despite his age, he really was more of a man.

“What’s that supposed to mean, then? Am I to believe you gave that man a fright, gibbering about glowing eyes and witchcraft, just to get my attention?” he asked, his hands falling from his hips. This was clearly not what he expected to hear from the causers of the commotion.

Talatha’s body threatened to bring a blush to her face, but she cleared her throat, staring directly at the soldier. He stood just taller than her, average for a man of his age, but she was taller for a woman. Even Alsry, fierce though she was in battle, was a whole head shorter than Talatha. Talatha’s height came from her father’s line, a descendant of nomads in the peaks of the northern mountains.

She wondered if her size gave him pause, in addition to her forward communication. Talatha was even more grateful for her unusual stature.

“That was—an unfortunate misunderstanding. I meant only to ask the young man if he knew where you were, at which point he rushed off in a frenzy, mumbling things I didn’t understand,” Talatha said, feigning a worried look.

To her surprise, the soldier started laughing.

“That story checks,” he said, shaking his head. “The fool was saying something about witchcraft and glowing eyes. I didn’t even have a chance to ask questions before he saw you and bolted. Perhaps it was your charm that scared him away.”

This time, Talatha’s face did flush. She couldn’t help but eye the soldier from head to foot, taking in the fact that he was more than ten cycles her younger. Such relationships weren’t illegal by any means, but they were uncommon in Lindrad. He chuckled.

“Perhaps something like that,” Talatha said, clearing her throat to change the subject, “but it’s you we sought in the first place. As I said before.”

Talatha looked around at the sea of moving bodies, looking desperately for a place where they could speak in private. While she did, Lancevin spoke.

“I’m Lancevin, this here is Alsry, and this lady is Talatha,” her companion said, extending a hand outward.

The soldier furrowed his brow once more, then removed his gauntlet and put forth his hand hesitantly. Lancevin grabbed the younger man’s hand, squeezing as tightly as possible, causing the soldier to wince in pain. Talatha resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The tendency to show manly dominance always seemed to prevail in situations like this.

“Pleased,” he replied, “I’m Avryn. Now then, what is it you wanted from me?”

“A place to speak in private, for one,” Talatha replied unabashedly.

This time, Avryn’s eyebrow extended upward, betraying his surprise. He regained his composure, replacing his gauntlet and glancing about the moving throng.

“Though I can scarcely imagine your need for privacy, I must admit my curiosity is getting the better of me—despite it being ill-advised to meet privately with strangers, let alone three at one time.”

Alsry tensed. The soldier hadn’t called them a threat directly, but the implication didn’t land well on Talatha’s companions. Talatha once again fingered the cloth of her skirt idly before reaching up and resting her palm on the pommel of her sword. The soldier didn’t miss this action, his eyes flicking downward to see where she’d placed her hand. Cursing in her mind, she dropped her hold.

How did Hilgard do this? Talatha thought, frustrated.

Talatha had been on countless journeys to retrieve Awakening Lightbearers, but normally, she wasn’t the one to talk. Now that they had elected her leader of Evenir, she felt the urge to be the leader, charismatic and able to sway others with her words. At this moment, she felt like she was failing, the situation appearing even more precarious than before,when she’d scared the stranger away.

Perhaps she was being too hard on herself.

“Pray, we mean no one any harm. We only wish to discuss a piece of information we think you’ll want to be aware of—being a soldier, of course,” Talatha said.

Her implication that it was something to do with his responsibilities appeared to assuage any worries he had about meeting with strangers. “Oh, I see. Well then, if that’s the case, I can imagine privacy is of the utmost importance. Follow me,” he said, turning back the way he’d come.

Tension released in Talatha’s chest, though her muscles remained taut. She was still uncomfortable with the crowd mulling about around them. Even as they walked, sudden movements caused her to snap her attention this way and that. A group of small children playing with a large ring of iron ran to the side. At first glance, their rapid pace quickened Talatha’s pulse. Once she’d seen who they were and what they did, she relaxed again. Her neck ached from the tension.

A firm hand pressed on her shoulder, Lancevin’s voice whispering from behind her.

“We are watching our surroundings. Focus only on the task ahead. I’m guessing you didn’t bring Alsry and me for the extra pretty faces,” he said, a light chuckle following.

Alsry grunted but affirmed his words.

So many thoughts flew through Talatha’s head at that moment.

The soldier led them out of the busy square down a side road. Though this still carried travelers to and from the square, it was obvious it was a less-traveled path.

“Just in here,” Avryn said, gesturing broadly to a storefront.

The newfound tightness of the smaller road gave Talatha even more anxiety, and she couldn’t help but think the man was leading her into a trap of some sort. Yet they’d been the ones to approach him. Talatha lost any thoughts of this soldier staging a coup at that point. She shivered. It wasn’t chilly out, but a strong wind had kicked up, funneling through the corridor they now stood in.

Moving with purpose, Avryn pushed open the door to the shop and entered, stepping to the side to allow them entrance. Talatha nodded in appreciation, then followed him through. She was immediately bombarded with the smell of drying herbs and spices. A small cough escaped her mouth as she adjusted to the new scents. Shelves lined the walls on both sides, and small bottles of various medicines and remedies filled them to the brim. Cords hung from the ceiling with dried plants and flowers, likely the reason for the strong smells.

Her companions followed her through the apothecary, Lancevin seeming unworried and Alsry the exact opposite. The shorter woman narrowed her eyes and scrunched her nose, apparently bothered by the environment.

After a brief conversation with the shopkeeper, whom Avryn apparently knew, the soldier slipped behind the counter and through a curtained doorway there.

Talatha exchanged looks with her companions before leading them through the same way.

They entered a room roughly the same size as the shop in front, though it was devoid of any shelving. Stacked barrels sat along the walls, with wooden baskets of more dried plants and other objects.

“I’ll leave yeh to it, then,” the squat shopkeeper said before slipping past Talatha.

“I trust this is suitable?” Avryn asked.

The moment he asked, the aromatic smell of the stock wafted into Talatha’s nose, making her head fog from its intensity. Though her mind screamed at her to tell him they needed to find somewhere else, the urgency of her message won out.

Talatha knew a delicate approach to delivering a message such as this might land better, yet time restrictions forced her to opt for a more blunt approach.

“This is suitable, yes,” she replied. Even then, Lancevin stifled a cough, his hand coming to his nose to block out the powerful smell. Alsry, stoic as ever, kept her arms folded, eyes scanning the curated doorway as if someone might follow.

“We’ve been searching for you specifically. This isn’t a matter for just any militiaman,” Talatha said. “I’ll be frank, then, if you don’t mind.”

The soldier stepped back, his hand resting on the handle of his sheathed sword. He narrowed his eyes, clenching his other fist down at his side.

“Be so, then,” he urged, an almost frenzied anger entering his eyes.

Talatha’s stomach clenched as the air became tense around them. Alsry shifted so she no longer faced the side, sensing the mood of the soldier before them.

“Take care, Tal,” Lancevin whispered from behind, almost imperceptibly to her ears.

Talatha continued to lock eyes with the man, searching for the words.

“I fear I must tell you your life will change in ways you can’t even expect,” Talatha said. “But please, I think it best to show you what I mean rather than tell you.”

The man continued to hold his defensive position, his eyes flicking to Talatha and her companions behind her. She breathed in deeply, the dried herb smell burning her nostrils and causing her to clear her throat to avoid a fit of coughs. Raising her shoulders to ward off the discomfort, Talatha raised a hand in a surrendering fashion.

“Know that we mean you no harm, but you must see what is to come,” she said. “Now, Lancevin, if you would be so kind.”

He nodded, stepping forward. This motion was enough for the soldier to pull his sword out a few inches, the steel of the blade scraping on the scabbard. The sound echoed on the wooden walls of the stockroom.

“Hold there, I must remind you of the consequences of cornering and attacking a soldier of the Vale. Your actions henceforth would be held in contempt by the king and tribunal,” Avryn said.

Talatha couldn’t help but feel impressed. He was backed into a corner with three strangers who claimed his life would change drastically, yet he faced the situation head-on. Her whole body was still tense, prepared for the potential fight should this turn a direction she didn’t intend it to. Somehow the location the soldier had picked made the whole situation feel grave. They had unintentionally blocked off the only exit by standing where they were. Gritting her teeth at the unfortunate circumstances, she cursed herself for not taking the time to ask him for a more proper place for their conversation.

“As a show of good faith,” she said, “our weapons.”

Talatha opened her palm forward, showing surrender, then reached toward her sword and slowly pulled it free. The soldier, having likely been trained to treat any situation like this as serious, yanked his sword out and pointed the tip right at her. Talatha remained calm, then bent over and placed the weapon on the planked floor.

“There, nothing to worry about from us,” she urged, standing up straight and holding her hands upward. The soldier relaxed, though Talatha could see in the waning light that beads of sweat formed on his brow. She prayed to Lanser that this would work.

“Now, if you will, Lancevin,” she said.

Her companion grunted, then stepped forward, raising his hand upward. The darkened room became alit with an alternative source of Light, a Conjured branch appearing in Lancevin’s outstretched hand. With only a small window carrying the setting sunlight, the Light was piercing, making Talatha wince at the brightness. The steady blue Light of the object burned its way into her eyes. The branch was of medium size, leaves extending outward in multiple directions. Though details of the false wood couldn’t be discerned due to its brightness, the rustling of the leaves as Lancevin moved the branch indicated how truly physical it was.

As was the nature of a Conjurer, Lancevin could create any object, however meaningless, out of Light. Though it appeared incorporeal, anything he made was as real as it could be.

“Fog me well,” the soldier exclaimed, stepping backwards, his sword flipping up to an attacking position. “You come to me bearing such witchcraft and expect me to believe it’s in peace? Such powers are punishable by death, don’t you know this?”

Lancevin scoffed at the comment. “Come now, I didn’t even Conjure a weapon. You think I created a measly tree branch to threaten you?”

The man’s eyes flicked from the glowing tree branch to Lancevin’s face, then back again. Despite the soldier’s surprise, Talatha made note of the fact that he wasn’t running in terror nor was he attacking. Instead, the soldier was inspecting the object with something of curiosity. She remembered her own reaction at seeing Lightbearing for the first time. She had run away.

Furrowing her brows, Talatha spoke again. “You’ve seen this before, haven’t you?”

The man’s eyes flicked to her face, but he didn’t speak. That simple fact alone meant he had. A normal person would have run or attacked right on sight.

Pressing his lips together, Avryn nodded, still holding his sword aloft. Talatha waved a dismissive hand toward Lancevin, who let the object disappear.

“How have you come to know of Lightbearing, then?” Talatha asked. Her mind warned her that something was wrong.

Breathing hard, the soldier took a few steps backwards. For a moment, she thought he’d rush forward and try to escape, reacting the way she had when she first saw the Light.

“You are the fogging second person to show me this—this curse just today,” he replied. “I won’t have any of it. I expect the next thing you’ll tell me is that I’m to become one of you, to be cursed with this unnatural power.”

Her whole body tingled the moment the words left his lips. Others had confronted him.

But Talatha and her companions had only just arrived, and until now, she’d not described the man’s appearance to any who traveled with her.

“Who were these others?” Talatha said quickly. “When did they approach you?”

Air hissed through the soldier’s teeth. “Not three hours ago. I’m still shaken enough by what they showed me. Here I thought I was going to get back to normal, ignore the offer they extended for me to leave this place with them. Now more of you appear.”

Talatha tensed again, seeing the worry in Avryn’s eyes. She knew she had to tell him. Though she wanted to press him for more information about these others who came to talk to him earlier, she focused on the message she had to deliver.

“Then you know already. This power, this Light you’ve witnessed. It will manifest within you soon,” she replied.

The soldier shook his head. “I don’t want it, I never will want it. The law condemns any who wield such witchcraft, as you would be if I were to expose your true nature to the militia.”

His grip tightened on his sword then.

Talatha sighed, placing one of her hands on her temple.

“I fear to say I know your future, Soldier. You cannot escape this power. It will come to you whether or not you accept it. We want to protect you and anyone around you when it manifests.”

The man’s eyes widened, his grip loosening on his sword.

“By Lanser’s name, I promise you this is not a curse, it’s a blessing from the god Lanser himself. We wish only to protect you and your loved ones from the moment of your Awakening. That is when these gifts will manifest,” Talatha said, taking one step forward.

She thought back to her own Awakening and how the Shield she’d created killed the woman closest to her. Her sister, Magness, might have been killed herself had she not been so close to Talatha’s person during the process. A few paces in either direction would have put Magness in the path of the Shield.

“For your sake and the sake of the people of this city, you must come with us,” Talatha urged.

Defeated, the soldier let the tip of his sword drop to the ground, where the steel scraped on the wood floor. Silence followed. Distantly, Talatha could hear the shopkeeper talking to someone, likely a new patron come to purchase a medicine.

“I must confess, this is not news I want to hear, but for Lanser’s sake, that this is the second time in one day I’ve heard this tale can’t be a coincidence,” Avryn said, hanging his head. “And there’s nothing I can do to avoid this fate?”

Talatha could relate. When she’d first gained her ability, she’d thought it a curse, something she wished to rid herself of for years. Not until she’d lived with Evenir for years had she come to accept it.

“I’m afraid not,” she admitted.

Avryn grimaced, slipping his sword back into place.

“How long do I have before—this happens?” he asked.

Talatha shook her head. “I fear I don’t know. Normally, I’d be able to tell you, but I can say it will be soon. Please think it over. If you need to speak with us further, you’ll find us at Grimvalen Inn. We’re quartered there for a time.”

He nodded.

“Cheer up, son! You’ll find that Lightbearing is a great gift. It’s not some curse like the monarchy claims,” Lancevin replied.

With a grim expression, Talatha turned and pushed her way through the curtain. As she exited, she stopped as her eyes landed on another figure there. She recognized him almost immediately, as if she’d seen him in a distant dream. He was tall, his shoulders broad and strong, his black hair cropped close to his head. A crook sat in the bridge of his nose. At that moment, he turned and locked eyes with hers, brows furrowing as he noticed Talatha staring.

“Is there a problem?” the man asked.

He was dressed in the same militiaman garb as Avryn, a steel longsword at his hip.

“No, I’m sorry,” she said.

She realized he was the very man she’d seen walking with Avryn in her vision only hours before. Trying to act as if nothing was amiss, she moved out past the shopkeeper and around the counter. Avryn followed her, the newcomer’s eyebrows shooting upward.

“Avryn? What are you doing back there?”

His eyes scanned Talatha once more, then passed over her companions.

“And with these people nonetheless,” the man added.

Avryn tensed, then cleared his throat, trying to forcibly relax.

“I could ask you the same thing, Prost,” Avryn replied. “You never set foot in the apothecary alone.”

Prost grunted. “I would have come with you, but you disappeared. I stopped looking for you once it became apparent you didn’t want to be found.”

Talatha tensed, sweat dripping down her back. She wished she hadn’t, for the man noticed immediately. He slowly placed the bottle he’d been holding back on the shelf, then faced them.

“Is there a problem, Avryn?” Prost asked.

Fortunately for her, Avryn managed to get a hold of himself. He smiled warmly, then moved to his fellow soldier’s side, clapping a hand on his back.

“You worry too much, old friend. I was merely helping these travelers get some remedies for infection and healing. The shopkeeper said he had just what we needed in the back,” Avryn insisted.

Talatha nodded slowly, cursing their luck for running into someone who was not only a soldier but clearly a longtime friend of their quarry.

“We were about to be on our way though,” she said, gesturing to Lancevin and Alsry.

Prost looked at them each in turn, then relaxed when he didn’t detect any issues.

“Fine. You’re a fine soldier for using your time to help them shop,” he said, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Avryn grinned crookedly. “If they’d needed remedies on bowel issues, I’d have waited for you to come along.”

Prost’s face turned red and he slugged Avyrn in the shoulder, who grimaced in pain. Tension diffused immediately from the interaction, and Talatha gestured to her companions. Not wanting to disturb the men’s new conversation, she moved toward the door but was stopped by Avryn calling out.

“Seems a coincidence that you’re staying at Grimvalen Inn. I only just remembered now that is where the others are staying as well,” Avryn said.

Talatha’s skin chilled.

“The—others?” she asked almost too quietly.

“I mentioned you weren’t the first to—thank me for my services today,” Avryn said, eyes flicking to Prost.

Talatha’s mind reeled. The only others that sought Awakening Lightbearers like this were Watchlight. An image of the black-clad figures in her hometown flashed in her mind. Her house burned, her parents dead. Angry eyes peered at her from underneath hoods of cloaks, a weapon of purplish Light shining in the grips of the men who’d come for her. Her mind flashed to the companions they’d left at the inn and her breath hitched in her chest. She tried to keep her reaction veiled but didn’t do so quickly enough.

Prost narrowed his eyes, convinced he was missing something.

“We must go. I’m famished and need sustenance,” Talatha said quickly, trying not to sound too eager.

Just as she turned to move through the door to the street, Avryn called, “Wait.”

Talatha paused, Alsry and Lancevin stopping a few paces away.

“I think I’ll come along,” Avryn suggested, then spoke to his friend. “Prost, you can return to the barracks. I’ll meet you there, then we can go to the pub for a drink. Maybe then I can relax a little.”

Prost continued to stare at them like a wolf ready to pounce, but then he relaxed.

“Don’t be too long, then,” he said. “Could use a pint to relax before our tourney fights on the morrow.”

With one last questioning look at Avryn, Prost walked past them, bumping into Lancevin’s shoulder. A show of dominance. Lancevin, though still on edge, reached up and held his shoulder in jest, pretending the bump hurt him. With a light chuckle, he turned to look at Talatha as if to say “is he serious?”

Once they waited for the other guard to disappear, Talatha slipped through the door, her boots shuffling on the floor as she quickly exited the apothecary. Distracted by the potential threat before them, the intense smells of the apothecary no longer bothered her. The shopkeep stared at them curiously as she nodded in thanks, then fled the shop without another word.

Talatha worried about what they’d find at the inn.

Chapter Six

The waning light of the sun took much of the crowd with it. In the short time they’d been in the apothecary, citizens of the city had already returned to their homes, stealing themselves away from the night and the rising red moon, Stellan.

Windows with hooded candles cast flickering light on the cobblestones, making it seem as if the road were waving and moving in front of them. Grateful for the dense buildings that cast such a glow on their path, Talatha continued to move with urgency. Even in her small hometown, it was polite to put extra candles in the windows so those traveling by could benefit from the light. But here, Talatha could see some houses and shops barren of candles, a sign of either poverty or unkindness to their fellow man.

Avryn grunted as he kept up with their pace. “Something gives me the feeling you have a problem with these others staying in the inn.”

Lancevin rolled his eyes. “You just picked up on that, then? Glad you aren’t blind at least.”

Avryn scowled.

Talatha ignored them, focused only on making it to their destination. At length, she could see the entrance to the inn. As they approached, she was relieved there weren't any clear sounds of fighting or shouting. Just as she put her hand on the door into the main room, Lancevin’s hand dropped onto her shoulder.

“Tal,” he whispered, “I think it best we don’t barge in. What if they’re waiting for us?”

She cursed herself. She’d become far more passionate about protecting others since joining Evenir, but now she couldn’t afford to be so brazen. Trying not to show her own disappointment in her lack of leadership given the newness of it all, she nodded.

“You and Alsry take the entrance into the kitchen. Don’t reveal yourself until I can assess the situation,” she said.

The two nodded and moved around the building. She could hear Avryn’s breathing increase as he recognized that something was amiss.

A single voice drifted out of the inn.

Establishments such as this would normally be bustling, full of patrons filling their bellies with food and ale. There had been more than just a few others when they’d left earlier.

“If you don’t wish to accompany me, you may go,” Talatha offered, standing up straight and preparing to enter.

“My work is to protect the city. I would not turn my back on a lady who walked into trouble,” he assured her, shaking his head.

She opened her mouth to argue but thought better of it. The tone of his voice made it sound as if he wasn’t open to negotiations.

With one last sigh, Talatha pushed into the inn’s common room.

Her chest constricted as she saw a body, blood pooling on the wooden floor. She quickly pulled her sword free, the steel sounding in her ears. Given her heightened senses, it was almost painful to hear it. The body wore a panicked look and the simple brown dress of Trilla, one of her Evenir Lightbearers, only just slain.

She took in the scene, tables overturned, chairs broken. Another body lay a few paces away, a wound in the man’s throat leaking his lifeblood. This one was clad in black, a sign that he wasn’t one of her own. Men and women, all faces she recognized, lay bound with cords made from purple Light.

The Light of the tainted.

“Ah, it’s about time you showed up,” a man said casually.

Talatha’s eyes snapped upward, her blade following her gaze. A man stood at the bar holding the tunic of the innkeeper, whose cheek bore a new bruise.

“I was just asking the goodman here where I could find you. Though he wasn’t being altogether helpful,” the man crooned.

Though lean, the man’s arms still bulged through his thin, black shirt. His tan face had thick eyebrows and a sharp nose. His hardened expression suggested he’d seen more than one fit of battle. The steady glow of purple Light drowned out the light of the few flickering candles that remained from the scuffle. A dozen other men and women, all clad in the same black garb, stared at Talatha and her new companion. Some bore weapons made from Light, the very things casting the purple hue.

Avryn stepped forward, his own sword raised outward.

“Goralt,” Talatha said, “what reason do you have for slaying this woman?”

She kept her voice even, but her tone seethed.

The Watchlight leader shoved the innkeeper backwards, the portly fellow grunting as he slammed into the bar and slumped to the ground with a whimper.

“Talatha, isn’t it?” Goralt replied. “I don’t condone killing, you know that. Ours is a peaceful objective.”

Talatha scoffed. “And yet every time we meet, it seems more and more die.”

The man clicked his tongue, but before he could say anything else, his eyes focused on Avryn standing behind her.

“Ah, if it isn’t the very man we’re here to see. Have you given any thought to our proposal?”

Goralt’s eyes narrowed toward Talatha then.

“I trust the lies of these fools have not tempted you now, have they?”

Avryn stepped back, his hand gripping his sword once more.

Talatha gritted her teeth. She wasn’t surprised to hear Goralt’s accusations, but this was part of why she hated dealing with Watchlight. Their leader’s silver tongue made it challenging to convince the Awakening Lightbearers where they could be safe.

Where Evenir created a safe haven for those with the gift, a place to live their lives in peace, Watchlight sought domination over Lindrad, seeing themselves as superior to those who didn’t bear the gift of Light.

“Well? Am I wrong in stating that she wants to take you away from this place? Take you to an unknown sanctuary to live out your days?” Goralt mused.

The other black-cloaked figures laughed at that, the sound even darker with all her bound companions and two corpses on the ground. She caught the eyes of Turrin, fury burning in his eyes. He held her gaze and raised an eyebrow as if to ask “attack now?” She subtly shook her head, then flicked her eyes toward the kitchen, hoping to send the message that help would come from there. He nodded, then locked his jaw.

“I—” Avryn said, eyes flicking to Talatha, who pressed her lips together.

When the soldier had nothing else to say, he straightened his back, pointing his blade at the leader of Watchlight.

“You are to be jailed for your crimes in T’Arren Vale this day, charged with the murder of these two souls,” Avryn said stoically.

Goralt’s smile melted away, replaced by fury. “I see you’ve made my work more complicated, Talatha, so we’ll do this the hard way.”

Eyes smoldering, he stepped forward and threw his hand outward. Avryn’s sword glowed with a steady purple Light before being pulled to the side. Despite being surprised by the force that yanked at his weapon, the soldier held tight to the blade, face contorting in shock and pain as his wrist twisted to the side. With a grunt, Goralt pressed with his power, trying to pull the weapon from the soldier’s hand.

Talatha sucked in a breath, then put her hands upward, creating a blue Light barrier before them. Goralt’s hold on Avyrn’s weapon fell away, and Avryn stumbled to the side, his counter-pressure now taking over. He fell into the wall with a grunt, then looked up, eyes widening.

“Go!” Talatha urged. “We shall deal with these men!” She then spoke in a quieter and more urgent tone. “We’ll be expelled from here, now that they know the power we hold. Meet us on the outskirts of town to the north. There is a boulder of considerable size where we’ll hole ourselves.”

Avryn’s mouth dropped open, and he faced Goralt once more with his weapon, a look of determination pressing away the fear that still shone in his eyes. With one last look, he bared his teeth in frustration, then spun, running through the door.

“Cursed Shielders! Drop this now,” Goralt urged her.

With a sly look on her face, Talatha nodded. “Fine.”

She flung her fingers forward, and the dome of Light expanded outward, slamming into Goralt and all of his men, dropping many of them in a heap with each other. Just then, Lancevin and Alsry came with a shout through the kitchen door. Talatha thanked Lanser that they’d waited until the right moment to burst into the room. Lancevin held a staff made of the same blue Light, which he swung through the air. The Conjured wood smacked hard into more than one head, knocking a few Watchlight soldiers to the ground. At that moment, Turrin shouted in glee, cutting his bonds away with a Conjured dagger, then slamming his fist into the face of a woman Watchlight soldier. She crumpled.

With a grunt from Goralt, Lancevin’s and Turrin’s bodies glowed purple and they were shoved sideways, Lancevin’s arm cracking into the wall there and Turrin falling to the ground. Alsry countered Goralt’s Moving with her own, pushing the tan-skinned man to the side, where he tumbled over the counter of the bar. Gritting her teeth at the mess they’d made already, Talatha rushed forward, ripping her sword free and severing the bonds of her companions. Soon they were all up, weapons ready, both Light and steel, facing the flustered, black-cloaked soldiers.

“Halt!” Goralt shouted, and everyone listened.

Alsry shot Talatha a look as if to ask if they should fight on, but Talatha shook her head. They weren’t here to fight. Though their interactions with the supposedly peaceful Watchlight were getting more violent with each go, she didn’t want Evenir to have the same reputation.

“If you want the rat, then have him. We’ve a new weapon in our ranks now anyway,” Goralt said, a grin spreading on his face.

Talatha stepped back, her chest constricting. She narrowed her eyes, still holding her sword aloft as the Watchlight warriors stood up shakily, regaining themselves.

“That’s right,” Goralt said. “One of our own gained the full powers of all seven classes of Lightbearing.”

Fear rocked Talatha, her stomach dropping.

It can’t be, she thought. Her mouth slipped open in surprise despite her attempts to stay strong and stoic.

“My kid brother. It seems Lanser has chosen one of our own to be all-powerful, able to use every gift of Lightbearing. You can have the boy; even if he’s more powerful than most Lightbearers, he’ll be no match for my brother in due time.”

With that, Goralt stepped around the counter of the bar and stood with his soldiers.

“This will be our last diplomatic conversation. The next time we meet, our swords will speak before our tongues,” he threatened. Goralt and his band walked out of the building, shooting glares at her as they left.

When they were gone, Talatha stationed two of her own warriors at the door to watch the way. Knowing how eloquent Goralt was with his words, she feared his statement of diplomacy just now was a show of falsity. Her mind reeled at what he’d said. Could his words be true? Was it possible for one man to wield all seven gifts?

“Alsry, Fix anyone who’s been injured,” she said, eyeing the woman who had been slain and the Watchlight man who lay dead on the floor. Before she could give any orders about the corpses, the innkeeper was standing above his bar.

“Git yer foggin’ behinds outta moi inn! Ain’ no place fer witches loik yous. Git!” he said, waving a sword he’d gained from somewhere behind the bar. “Git now!”

Despite his tone, she could see his hand wavering. She clenched her hands, wanting to argue with him and promise him they meant no harm, but she knew it would do little good.

“Come, take the body of our comrade and leave the other for this man to deal with,” she said firmly. She understood why the innkeeper reacted this way, her anger aimed toward Goralt and his meddling plans, but she still felt frustrated that they were now exposed. Leaving the inn wasn’t enough. They had to leave town before the innkeeper summoned soldiers to take them into custody.

Lightbearing, while mostly erased from history, was still condemned by the monarchy. Its use was against the laws of their nations, the reason why Evenir had been created in the first place.

They left in a hurry, rushing out of the inn into the darkened streets. Stellan’s bright red light shined on the road now, having raised higher than the roofs of the surrounding buildings. She never liked being out in the light of the first moon. The red hue of its light made everything eerie, almost unnatural. Yet tonight they would have to suffer not only it but also the fog that would come with Isllan, the third moon.

Talatha hated the fog, as did most of Lindrad. It had an unfortunate effect on those who were touched by its tendrils. Shaking her head, she led the group down the street, trying to stay in the shadows of the buildings. She likely didn’t need to sneak about, given that word of the conflict would take time to reach anyone with a care of it. There were also no people on the roads. Any town, large or small, was prone to emptiness when the light of the moons showed. Not one person dared be out of doors when the fog came.

A flash of Light appeared to her left, over the rooftop of the two-story building they were passing. Talatha spun in that direction, her heart racing. At first she thought it could be Goralt and his band attacking another part of the city. Despite their claims to be peaceful, they’d proven time and time again that they were incapable of peaceful dealings. Though they hadn’t declared war on Evenir or the government of Lindrad, she feared it would come to that soon. But then she saw that the Light shone blue, not purple. It stayed steady, piercing blue, indicating that it was from a different source.

“He’s Awakening now,” Talatha whispered.

Her companions stared upward at the Light, some with grimaces on their faces. They knew the danger of being near someone’s Awakening. Talatha had seen her fair share of deaths of those who found themselves too near one of the events. Though her brain warned her not to find him, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was somewhere populated.

“Stay here!” she hissed.

Instincts took over, along with the resolve to protect anyone she could with her Shielding. She ran down one of the closest alleys toward the bright Light. Lancevin cursed from behind and barreled after her, trying to keep up. He called for her, caring little of those that would be there to hear them. At the next road, Talatha paused, her breath coming in ragged waves. Heart thundering in her chest, she spun to the left and ran again down that road, narrowly dodging a cart that lay in the shadows.

Talatha was suddenly grateful it wasn’t daytime. Rushing through a crowd would have proven far too difficult. The road became a dead end and she cursed, scanning around until she found another narrow, almost hidden alleyway next to the local brewery. The scent of fermenting barrels of alcohol drifted out of the shuttered windows, burning her nose and making her eyes sting. She slipped into the alley, wondering how anyone could choose a profession that produced such a smell.

“Tal!” Lancevin hissed as he caught up to her. “You can’t just run off like this! It’s best to leave him alone if he’s Awakening.”

She heard the words and knew they carried truth, but something about this Awakening felt different. She feared anyone passing by would be too mesmerized to protect themselves. She prayed to Lanser that the roads near Avryn would be as empty as the others were. Wind funneled against her face, blowing her long hair back and cooling the sweat that formed on her brow.

Finally, the alley ended, and she came out on an even wider road. This was less well-kept, the stone broken, some places completely dirt where the rocks were damaged. Just across the way, she could see a large building, a storehouse of some sort, the blue Light filtering through the large doors. One of them stood ajar, the other closed.

Her breath caught in her throat.

The broken road just outside of the enormous building was being mended by the glowing Light. Broken stones repaired themselves as if some invisible hand guided their work. Plants sprouted from the cracks in the wood of the door and outside walls of the building, growing right between the grains as if there were seeds hidden everywhere.

Relief flooded Talatha. Avryn was Awakening as a Fixer. Of all the Awakenings, that one was not a threat to anyone near. Saying a prayer of thanks for the timing of Avryn’s Awakening, she rushed forward, Lancevin cursing as he caught up just in time for her to rush off once more. Though not dangerous, a Fixer’s Awakening would prove an annoyance with all the plants that would grow everywhere. Even now, Talatha could see that the wave of restorative Light expanded much farther than Awakenings often did. As she neared the door, she had to cover her eyes to keep from being blinded by the steady blue Light. All of a sudden, it disappeared. Sighing, she peered into the doorway to see walls lined with weapons of every kind. Spears, swords, shields, bows, and stacks of crates carrying supplies of all sorts.

It was an armory.

In the center of the large room, Avryn knelt with his back to the door. Talatha scanned the room for signs of any other people but found none.

“I’ll go get him,” Lancevin suggested, moving toward the man, who looked upward in shock. Talatha nodded, spinning to look on the street to see if anyone else ventured close by out of curiosity. Thankfully, none came. Even if someone had seen the Light as Talatha had, more than likely they’d be too fearful to emerge from their homes. The militia, on the other hand, would investigate.

A bright blue Light shone behind her back and she furrowed her brow. Avryn’s Awakening should have been completed by now. She turned to see rings of blue Light surrounding Avryn, who continued to kneel on the ground, almost completely unaware of what was happening to him.

Nausea rocked through Talatha as she observed the telltale signs of a Conjurer’s Awakening.

“No—” she whispered, her mind trying to grapple with what was happening. “He already Awakened as a Fixer.”

Lancevin slowed his approach, seeing the rings of Light surrounding their quarry.

Not once in history had Talatha witnessed an Awakening such as this. One power, that’s all Lanser granted to any Lightbearer. Yet here she stood, watching as the soldier gained a second right away. Every Lightbearer would inherit a second ability, but those took years of practice. Never were they gained at the beginning.

Her gut twisted, warning her that something was off.

“Lancevin! Something’s not right!” she yelled, but her companion waved a hand over his shoulder to assuage her.

As quickly as they’d come, the rings disappeared, plunging them into darkness again. Talatha’s heart skipped as her eyes adjusted to the dimness in the room. Stellan’s red light filtered through the open door, giving her just enough light to see Lancevin moving toward Avryn. At length, he arrived and knelt down.

Then Avryn glowed once more. Hair raised on Talatha’s whole body, her mind screaming at her that something was wrong.

“Lancevin! Run!” she shouted, though her throat felt thick with something and she choked on saliva. Her instincts made her toss her hand upward, a barrier of Light forming there.

Lancevin’s eyes widened as he watched the growing blue Light around the soldier. He shouted in fear, jumping backwards, but even Talatha’s Shield was barely quick enough.

A wave of Light exploded outward from the kneeling soldier, slamming into Talatha’s friend. In an instant, he was gone, shredded to pieces. The blast flew outward too fast for Talatha to comprehend what was happening. Weapons flew everywhere as the walls exploded, the sound of splintering wood and the crack of destruction deafening Talatha. She closed her eyes, the bright flash of the destructive Light almost blinding her even with the covering of her eyelids.

After the first blast, she held her hands still, holding her barrier firm as another wave slammed into her Shield. Her jaw ached from how firmly she clenched her teeth. Her chest felt tight, and she realized she’d been holding her breath, terror taking over. A final blast almost larger than the first two hit her Shield once more, then all was quiet. Each wave sucked energy from her as her reinforced Shield drew from her own body’s energy. The final blast took the last of her energy, and her Shield buckled, shattering to pieces with the sound of glass breaking. She slumped down, breathing hard.

The armory, once filled with weapons, walls tall and strong, was no more. She’d faced such power only a few times before, but each time it leeched so much from her. Even now, Talatha felt the urge to lie down and rest, yet sounds of shouting and footsteps came from the surrounding town. No doubt such a blast would have alerted the guard.

Avryn was a Destroyer and a Conjurer and a Fixer.

Her head pounded in pain, and she clenched her eyes closed, trying to ward off the sharpness. With one determined deep breath, she pushed herself back to her feet, stumbling over to Avryn. Though her gut wrenched at the thought of moving closer to the man, once an Awakening was done, the threat was gone. He’d not started glowing again.

She wanted to cry, wishing she hadn’t witnessed the end of her friend.

First Rowellen, now Lancevin.

Talatha placed a gentle hand on the soldier’s shoulder and he jumped, spinning on her with wide eyes.

“What—just happened?” he asked, his eyes scanning the wreckage of the building he’d inadvertently destroyed.

Though somewhat hollow, Talatha felt a glimmer of gratitude that Avryn hadn’t been in a populated location. As far as she could tell, only one had died tonight. Just one.

Albeit a costly one.

She didn’t feel resentment toward Avryn, but she loathed Lanser and this cursed Lightbearing. Ever since she’d Awakened, she’d known it was a curse, a plague to her and those she loved. It only begat death upon death. If she had any doubts about leaving her husband and son, however small, they were gone in this instant. Seeing Lancevin die in such a horrid way was the last straw.

“Come—come with us,” she said. “You won’t be safe, now that you’ve Awakened.”

Avryn’s eyes widened, and he looked at his hands. He was shaking, his resolve broken for a time.

“I can’t—I can’t just leave,” he said, looking up at her, tears welling there. “There are people I care about.”

This struck a nerve deep in Talatha’s chest. She felt compassion for him, but at the same time frustration. Lightbearing had forced Talatha to make the same decision years ago, and though she didn’t regret it, she still felt the pain of abandoning her loved ones.

“It’s the price you must pay for not only their preservation but your own,” she said, squeezing his shoulder. “We must go. They are upon us.”

Even as she said it, the pounding boots on the broken road echoed in the now-silent courtyard. She tugged on Avryn’s shoulder, pulling him through the rubble. Their progress was slow as they dodged the blades of swords, broken planks, and battered shields. She clenched her jaw, her breath coming in quick waves as she recalled the image of Lancevin over and over in her mind. A single tear fled her eye, running along her nose and falling to the ground.

She wouldn’t cry yet. They had to get to safety.

Talatha didn’t turn around, but based on the sound of the oncoming guard, they managed to dodge around the corner just as the military arrived. Her grasp on Avryn slipped away, and she spun around to see him holding his ground.

“I will come with you,” he said, “but not until after I give my farewells.”

Talatha’s chest burned in frustration, but before she could speak, he held up a hand.

“Don’t try to convince me,” he urged, “but answer me this. Am I a harm to anyone right now?”

The question surprised her, but she shook her head.

“Your Awakening is finished. As long as you don’t use your ability”—she paused—“abilities, then all should be safe. You have but one day to finish whatever business you have, then you will meet us north of town, hidden in the crags of the rocks there.”

He nodded. She thought to threaten him by saying that she would leave him if he delayed, but she couldn’t deny what she’d just seen. A triple Awakening. Something she’d never seen nor heard of in all her time with Evenir. That he could be swept away by Watchlight terrified her.

And if what Goralt said was true, they bore a single Lightbearer who could wield all seven abilities. She shuddered, trying to press away the doom she felt inside.

“I will be ready by morning,” he assured her. “I have but one friend to bid farewell, no more.”

Talatha observed him.

“You met the man, Prost. He intervened when we first met,” Avryn said, grimacing. “I suspect I know the answer, but you must suffer my question still. Is there a chance he could come along?”

Sadness washed over her at the question. Part of her wished she’d asked the same question years ago when she’d left her husband and son. Even if she knew the idea was foolish, the fact that she’d had no hope of them coming was a sadness in and of itself. Yet she realized now it could be different. Some brought their families along, and she would be loath to deny Avryn the option.

“That,” she said, “I will leave to you. Just know, if you bring this Prost along, his life will never be the same. He’ll be in equal amounts of danger as you are now.”

Avryn pressed his lips together. “So be it. I’ll meet you on the morrow.”

And with that, he rushed off.

With the man gone, Talatha took stock of herself. Her head still pounded, and her ears were ringing. Her eyes burned from the flash of the explosions, and her nose burned as she breathed in. The freshness of the breeze blowing through the streets was not enough to distract her from the pain she felt. Stellan shone from above, its red light seeming to tease her with its eeriness.

Without Avryn close by to watch her, Talatha slumped to the ground and cried.

Chapter Seven

Six Years Later

Talatha sat in the empty war room again, something she’d been doing more and more of late. Books were piled on the table here and there, bits of parchment stained with scribbled notes made by her hand. The smell of inkwells and documents filled the room, which, in her mind, was far better than the staleness the air normally held. Not much had changed in this room since they had made her leader of Evenir, save for the extra stone chairs she’d had made. Their numbers had grown significantly, partly from rescuing more Awakened souls, and also from the rapidly growing families in Terris Green.

“There has to be something here,” she whispered to herself. She was reading a note from the priests of Lanser one hundred cycles before.

Through Lanser’s love hath he blessed us wise, that he gave unto us a marvel, a soul so powerful, they should sweep all of Lindrad.

She paused, furrowing her brow.

Sweep Lindrad? she thought, then sounded the word out again.

Save all of Lindrad.

The document was one of the last journal entries of the great high priest of the Lanserian religion. It was written in the old language, something she’d been forced to teach herself over the past few years. Despite her skill with the old texts, she was prone to misinterpreting words. She was glad she didn’t have to read out loud. For now, she hadn’t shared her research with anyone else at Evenir.

No high priest existed during her time, for after writing this message, the last one died, his authority over the church shifting to the new monarch of Lindrad. Since then, high priest and monarch became synonymous, one person in all.

Seven gifts hath they gained, seven moons to guide us from the darkness that is Ugglyn. Though able to ward off the void, only h’ilvina’t can save us in the end.

Talatha paused again. She’d read this passage hundreds of times and was still stuck on that word. H’ilvina’t. It was the one thing she couldn’t translate, which frustrated her to no end.

Her mind drifted once again to that fateful day in T’Arren Vale when she’d heard the rumor of a Lightbearer wielding all seven abilities of Lightbearing. Talatha had learned only months after that the rumor was true. Goralt’s brother. The words echoed in her mind once more.

Seven gifts hath they gained . . .

Of all the people in Lindrad to receive such a gift from Lanser, she loathed that it fell upon a member of Watchlight, and a brutish man no less.

An image of the man, pale-white skin and pure-white hair, entered her mind. Riln. She’d faced him only a few times since that day in T’Arren Vale, but she’d witnessed his use of at least five of the seven Lightbearing abilities. It was enough to prove the truth. Since that fateful day of Avryn’s Awakening, things had changed with Watchlight. The death of Goralt was first. While they’d had some violent run-ins with the former Watchlight leader, his younger brother, the same “gifted Lightbearer,” cared little for diplomacy. Every encounter for the past five years was nothing but fighting, survival of the strongest.

And the enemy’s Light was now red.

Talatha sighed, rustling through another set of pages. This record, as far as she could understand, spoke of the red Light of those who had fallen to the temptations of the anti-god, Ugglyn. Though she couldn’t speak to why their principal adversary’s Light had changed to red, it was still disconcerting. It wasn’t until now that she realized that Watchlight’s purple Light was the middle factor of it transitioning from blue to red.

Howling wind caught her ears and she shivered. Though she was deep in the mountain, the vents, which had been cut through the thick rock with Destroying, captured sounds of the raging storm outside. The fall storms were more frequent than the sun these days. Grateful that she was in the stuffy room rather than in the torrent outside, she reached for another tome, then paused.

Someone was watching her.

Hair raised on her arms as she dragged her hand back, trying to stay calm. She’d asked other Lightbearers, and only Seers seemed to be able to tell when someone watched them. The sensation had never come before she’d gained her second ability, but now she’d had years of practice. It was the unmistakable feeling of another Seer watching her.

Talatha stood from her chair and turned so she could lean backwards on the table, pressing her palms down on the stone surface. She looked upward, trying to guess where the watcher was when she entered the vision realm to catch them. With a deep breath, she let her Seeing take over. As her eyes filled with blue Light, the world spun, and she left her body, her spirit form entering the in-between.

She gasped then.

Only a few moments passed before she came to, her eyes fading. Immediately after, the heavy wooden doors with the intricate carving opened, and Avryn, Alsry, and Varith entered.

“Sorry for the intrusion,” Avryn said, bowing, “but we’ve received word that another Awakening is to happen within a day’s time, in Ulivar. We should be able to make it if we leave now.”

Alsry grunted at that. “You’ll have a rough go getting volunteers to travel in this storm. Lanser must be angry to be kicking up that wind.”

Varith smiled. “I should think that there would be many willing to sacrifice their comforts for good days trudging through the rain. Builds character.”

The tall man wore a blue suit, embroidered with red thread. Tailored to fit just right, the dark-skinned Varith looked like something of nobility, his Fixing abilities always at the ready to make sure everything he wore was perfect at all times. Varith’s sarcasm never failed to find its way into every conversation, yet she knew his intelligence was invaluable, hence his standing as one of the generals.

Avryn furrowed his brow, noticing Talatha’s expression.

“What is it? Did you See something about this Awakening?”

Talatha heard the things they said but remained stunned. Her breathing took a moment to slow. While she tried to get a hold of herself, she put a hand upward, stopping Avryn from moving in closer.

“I’m—fine, I just need a moment,” she assured them.

Alsry and Varith both frowned. Varith folded his arms, inspecting her. Alsry pulled her short sword free, looking about the room as if there was threat afoot.

And threat there was.

She couldn’t process everything she’d Seen.

“They—were watching me,” Talatha finally said.

Her new companions looked at her curiously. Of the three, Avryn was the first to speak.

“Who? Is everything alright?”

Talatha shook her head. After hearing that they needed to leave, Talatha put the thoughts away, telling herself that she’d give more detail to Avryn and the others once she’d had time to think it through.

“It would take far too long to describe now, but I was being observed by Riln and Ugglyn himself,” she admitted.

The air tensed as now Varith and Avryn armed themselves alongside their companion. Both men held Conjured swords, the blue Light of their weapons emanating on the stone walls and floor.

“Here, as in—right now?” Avryn asked, his jaw hard.

Though her chest still felt tight with nerves, she waved them off again.

“No, no, they’re gone now, something drove them away,” Talatha admitted, “but there was someone else—oh, never mind, like you said, we need to get going.”

The three eyed each other, then put their weapons away.

“Tell Magness that I’ll be joining you on this journey. It’s been too long since I’ve been to retrieve a new Lightbearer.”

Avryn grimaced. “Are you sure you want to come now? The storm is unrelenting at the moment.”

She nodded, though she gritted her teeth. Only moments before, she’d been relishing the fact that she wasn’t in the storm, and now she was volunteering to come along. With all the things she’d just read and the vision she’d just had, it made sense for her to travel. It was the best time to think, after all.

“Yes, I’m sure. Even though my sister will be more than unhappy about the arrangement. She’s had all the fun journeying while I’ve been stuck inside.”

Avryn nodded, then gestured for the others to leave, which they did. The image of the third person she’d Seen swam in her memory, and her eyes drifted off in the distance. She wasn’t sure how long she was in her mind, but Avryn soon brought her back to reality by touching her arm with the tips of his fingers.

“You’re still distracted by what you Saw,” he said. “What was it that pulled your attention away?”

She sighed. Since Avryn had accompanied them from T’Arren Vale, he’d quickly become one of her trusted advisors, one general of the Lightbearing companies. Talatha smiled at him, then grasped his hand in hers. She was fond of him, as a mother might be of her son. The events prior, with her leaving a son of her own, only proved to strengthen the idea that this man could fill the gap in her heart that she had from not being able to raise her real son.

But what she’d Seen had rocked her.

“Three people watched me just now, and I admitted the former two, but the third, while equally unexpected, distracted me far beyond what I could imagine,” she said, once again looking to the stone wall.

Avryn shook his head slowly, trying to be patient as he waited for her to tell him.

“We must leave now, but I will tell you in due time. As you said, if we’re to make it to the newly Awakened before Watchlight, we must leave immediately,” she said.

Part of her wanted to share what she’d Seen, who she’d met alongside their enemy, but another part wanted to hold it close and sacred for just a moment longer.

Though Avryn looked frustrated with the answer, he nodded, not wanting to contest her wishes. With another curt nod, he spun on his heels, his long brown hair flipping around his shoulders. Talatha’s body followed him, but her mind was still stuck on the vision.

The third person watching had been the son she had left behind.

Chapter Eight

The wind had stopped buffeting them, the sprinkling rain now falling downward rather than pelting them in the face as they traveled. Despite the horrid traveling conditions for the past day, Talatha still felt elated about what she’d seen. Not once since she’d left her hometown had she thought she’d even get to meet her son. Sixteen years had passed since she’d had to run, and though her moments with her son in the vision realm were short, they’d lifted her spirits beyond comprehension.

But time wasn’t kind.

A fleeting bout of terror came to her before she pressed it away. During their conversation, her son had told her she’d died six months ago, according to his time. Though he hadn’t clarified how far in the future he was during their conversation, Talatha shivered, trying not to focus on it. If it were something she could change, she would. She’d been watching her husband and son from afar since she’d gained Seeing, viewing the boy as he grew from a young child to a teenager whenever she had a few moments to spare. Every time she watched them, she was more grateful Watchlight hadn’t discovered them.

Thus her shock when she entered the vision in the war room only to find the familiar face of her very son watching her.

He would Awaken as a Seer and something else, though they hadn’t gotten into details. The conversation was brief, yet it felt like eternity. If Riln and Ugglyn hadn’t shown up, it might have been drawn out.

A clap of thunder pulled her back to reality. It was distant, the main part of the storm having passed over them a few hours before, but it still made her wince and shiver. They’d been spared from being near any lightning strikes as of yet, but another wave of clouds could blow in at any moment.

She rode her horse, dress and tunic drenched through. The air was thick and warm, enough that she didn’t shiver from being wet. The smell of saturated plants and earth pressed through her nostrils, but she accepted it with gratitude. Being in the caverns of Terris Green for months at a time made anyone appreciate nature, even during wild storms.

Talatha gripped the reins of her horse and tugged lightly to turn her mount to the left. Through the trees she could see the edge of the small village. Ulivar wasn’t even considered a village to most. Like many communities scattered throughout Lindrad, it was more a camp that had become permanent. She had only known of its existence after passing it by chance years before on the way to the principal city of T’Arren Vale.

She looked up at the sky, judging the time of day by the sunlight filtering through the clouds. Based on what the Seers described and what she later watched herself in a vision, the Awakening would happen within the hour.

“Be on alert. If their Seers witnessed the same Awakening, Watchlight could be near,” she said.

Turrin grunted, the older man pressing his fist into the palm of his other hand. “They can roit try t’ git the lil’ one ’afore us. Oi’ll flog ’em first though.”

Avryn rolled his eyes at the man’s bravado, but Talatha chuckled. She couldn’t help but appreciate the levity in the man’s tone. Despite the comment, many of her companions shifted in their saddles, the idea that Watchlight could be near causing more duress than not. The battles with their enemy had become increasingly fierce. She suspected that today would be no different. Tightening her jaw with determination, she led her horse from the tree cover, heading toward the nearest building.

Talatha’s thoughts drifted to Magness, who’d complained that she had to be left behind. As the second-in-command, it wouldn’t be acceptable for her to join Talatha when someone needed to stay behind and run the sanctuary. Her sister had always wanted to visit Ulivar. It was a dream of hers to start a community like it someday, outside of the mountain, which she claimed was too stifling for her.

Unlike most cities and towns in their land, this community was merely a dozen homes, all one story and fashioned from uneven logs. They faced each other in a large ring, the area having been cleared of foliage to use in building the structures themselves. In moments, Talatha had a view between two of the houses to the center where a large pit was dug, likely for a communal fire. She didn’t spot a well, so she guessed a river or lake was close by to offer the precious liquid.

“Talatha,” Avryn said as they approached, “you never shared with me what you Saw in your vision. I hope you don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

Turrin eyed the two but shook his head, deciding he didn’t want to pry.

“On the way back, for now let’s focus on—”

Shouting made her freeze, her skin chilling.

“Where is the girl?” a man growled.

Over the wind, she couldn’t make out if anyone replied, but she thought she could hear whimpering.

A lot of whimpering.

With a curse, she leapt from her horse, her soldiers following just behind. Avryn took up a position just over her right shoulder, Turrin over her left. Talatha slipped along the side of the log home, her cloak catching on the rough wood there and pulling at her neck. It never got so stuck that it stopped her advance, it just tugged each time she moved. With slow motions, she peeked around the edge of the building.

The townspeople knelt, at least a hundred of them, if not more, with their hands behind their backs. A few men, likely the leaders of the village, sat at the front, their heads down. From the look of their clothing, they lived simple lives. Everything they wore looked homemade, from their soleless leather shoes to their cloth caps. Men, women, and children all knelt in a tight group, surrounded by black-clad soldiers.

Many of the soldiers bore red Lightbearing.

Talatha cursed. They were too late. Based on how Watchlight had already rounded up everyone in the town, they must have been here for a while.

At the forefront of the group, an ancient-looking man sat on his haunches, his face calm and serene. A cut leaked blood from his left temple, the liquid dripping down his shoulder and staining the cloth there. Talatha couldn’t believe his stoic expression in the face of the large man standing in front of him.

“We need to do something,” Talatha said, clenching her fists.

Avryn moved slowly in front of her, causing her back to press on the wood of the building. He stiffened, a strangled cough catching in his throat. In a flash, he stood beside her again.

“No—no—no, it can’t be,” Avryn whispered, rubbing his palms over his face.

Before she could ask what was wrong, she heard the shouting again.

“Tell me where the girl is.”

Something clawed at Talatha’s mind, a memory that felt so deep, she barely had a sense it was even there at all. The voice sounded—familiar.

While she tried to place the timbre, she eyed Avryn, who continued to cover his face and shake his head. Turrin gave her a look as if to ask what was wrong, but she shrugged. Talatha peeked around the corner to see the large Watchlight man grasping the old leader by the shirt and lifting him off his feet. He shook the old man, ordering him to reveal the location of someone.

They must have hidden the girl, the one who will Awaken, Talatha thought, but how could they know?

At that very moment, one of the townspeople rose up with a shout, throwing his hands outward. A few of the Watchlight soldiers cried out in shock as their bodies glowed blue, shoved backwards by the invisible force.

A Mover! Talatha thought.

Before the Watchlight members could right themselves, Talatha shouted to her companions.

“Now! Protect the locals!”

With that, she let out a shout, rushing from behind the house as her warriors followed behind, some Conjuring weapons of Light, others steel. They rushed so quickly that they overwhelmed a few of the Watchlight members, cutting them down. Talatha’s stomach lurched. She didn’t condone violence like this, but when there were innocents in danger, she justified it.

Yet it still felt wrong.

A Watchlight man created an orb of red Light about the size of an egg, then flung it in her direction. Her gut warned her of the danger, and she tossed up her Shield before it could make contact. With a loud crack, the Destruction orb exploded, the flash blinding her momentarily before she pressed outward with her Shield, shoving half a dozen enemies away.

Chaos ensued.

The local people scattered, some reaching for weapons, others garden tools. Women shouted for their children to follow them to hide in their homes. Talatha drew her sword, dropped her Shield, and engaged an enemy Conjurer in battle. Her sword clashed with the woman’s, the sound of clanging steel echoing on the wooden walls of the surrounding buildings.

Heart racing and breath ragged, Talatha fought the woman in earnest, neither gaining the upper hand, until the woman pushed her hand outward. A force slammed into Talatha, throwing her off balance. Looking down, she saw that her whole body was wreathed in red Light.

A Mover.

Gritting her teeth, Talatha tossed up another Shield, the force leaving her body immediately as the connection was severed. The woman grimaced at Talatha, slamming her red Light sword on the barrier to no avail. With a slight grin, Talatha expanded her Shield rapidly, smashing it into the woman, who grunted and fell on her backside.

Talatha dropped the barrier and leapt on her opponent, ready to bury her sword in the woman’s chest, but she paused, breathing hard. She couldn’t be like them; she couldn’t kill like Watchlight did. Just as she opened her mouth to give the order to spare the enemy, she was thrown off the woman by the same Moving force. Her back slammed into the hard-packed dirt of the courtyard, her breath knocking out of her.

Eyes wide, Talatha tried to suck in a breath, but her lungs wouldn’t behave. Panicked, she sat up, gasping for air, seeing the Watchlight woman move toward her with an evil grin. Then an arrow made of blue Light sprouted from the woman’s chest. Wide-eyed, she collapsed to the ground.

At that moment Talatha gained her breath again and she stood up, trying to get her bearings.

“Yeh almost took one to the chest, yeh did,” Turrin said as he rushed to her side. He bore a crossbow in his hand, Conjured from Light.

“Thank—you,” she said, though her stomach felt sick from what had just happened. The battle raged around her, blue and red Light flashing from both sides, men and women crying out in pain or frustration. Another Watchlight man came running at her, his hand outstretched. In a flash, he loosed an orb of Light, which slammed into the ground at Talatha’s feet, exploding. The force tossed her backwards once more, Turrin flying the other direction. Clods of dirt stung her face and everywhere her bare skin was exposed.

She instinctively tossed up another Shield. This time, the Destruction orb was blocked by the barrier.

As she struggled to her feet, she couldn’t help but remember the image of Lancevin being hit by the same force, his body shredded as the explosive energy washed over him directly. Standing firm, she prepared to expand her Shield, but the Destroyer was shoved to the side. Shocked, Talatha looked to find the local man, an Awakened Lightbearer living in hiding. He smiled grimly at her, then dove on top of the man, a dagger entering the Watchlight man’s chest.

The local appeared determined, a triumphant look on his face, but Talatha caught the glimmer of red Light forming in the hand of the dying Watchlight man.

“No! Watch out!” she shouted, but it was too late.

With his last breath, the Watchlight man shoved the orb up into the chest of the local, whose back exploded outward.

Her stomach heaved and tears filled her eyes.

This can’t be happening. He didn’t have to die, she thought.

When she’d first seen the man use his Lightbearing, she’d felt hope; hope that she could save him and the soon-to-Awaken girl.

“Talatha!” Avryn shouted, and he was by her side, helping her up. “We found her, the girl.”

Talatha nodded, though she was having trouble seeing through her wet eyes. The two raced through the courtyard, Talatha holding her Shield aloft. Conjures, weapons, and other random items thrown by Movers slammed into her barrier. She was grateful for its protection.

As they reached the edge of the town, she spied Alsry standing in front of a young girl, hair black as night and down her waist. She must have only been eleven or twelve, such a small thing.

Alsry looked determined as she warded off three Watchlight soldiers coming at her. Though she still felt sick, Talatha launched herself at the group, Avryn close on her heels. She brought her sword around with a shout, the opponent parrying the attack. Adrenaline rushed through her as she flicked her sword side to side, high and low, pushing the man backwards. He grimaced, a determined look on his face, then smiled as he feinted left. Talatha knew the move. She’d been fighting for years now.

Knowing it was a feint, she pretended to move her sword in that direction while pulling her other hand to the side. In a quick motion, the man changed direction and swung his steel sword at her stomach. It never made it. She opened her palm, creating a barrier that not only blocked the sharp edge of his blade but knocked him to his backside with a grunt. Without a second thought, her sword was in his chest. She yanked it free, turning to see Avryn finishing another soldier while the final one ran.

“Tal!” Alsry shouted. “It’s happening!”

Talatha spun on the girl, seeing that she’d fallen to the ground, holding her stomach.

“Run! Get out of here!” Talatha ordered, and Alsry cursed, rushing off behind a house. Avryn gritted his teeth, grabbing Talatha by the arm, but she resisted.

“I can protect us,” she said, raising her Shield.

The girl glowed a steady blue, her eyes wide. She groaned, squeezing her stomach as if she was going to vomit. Talatha remembered the feeling. Pain, it was all pain.

“Move out of my way!” a man yelled from behind.

Talatha spun around, locking eyes with the man who stood there. Tall and bulky, black hair cropped to his head, a crook in his nose. And gnarled purple scars from his nostrils to both of his ears.

Fear rocked her at the terrifying sight. More than that was the memory which slammed into her. This was the man who’d intervened in T’Arren Vale years ago when they’d spoken to Avryn in the shop.

This was Avryn’s friend.

“Prost!” Avryn said desperately. “Why are you doing this?”

Prost eyed Avryn. For a moment, his eyebrows shot up in surprise, then they hardened again and he glared.

“You wouldn’t understand. Things are different now,” Prost said, his voice gravelly.

“How did you come to join Watchlight? How are you even here right now?” Avryn asked, his hand gripping his Conjured blue sword. Prost eyed the weapon, fury deepening in his face.

The man growled and ran at her barrier. Talatha smiled, knowing there was nothing he could do to get them. She turned, eyeing the girl, who continued to groan, the Light intensifying as it emanated from her body.

“Talatha! Watch out!”

Her stomach clenched as she detected that something was wrong. Spinning back toward their pursuer, she watched as Prost’s steel sword passed through Avryn’s Light-created one, and he shoved her companion to the ground. Then pain erupted in her stomach.

Eyes wide, she looked down to see the hilt of Prost’s sword touching her belly, blood pouring over his sword.

She coughed, feeling the warm wetness of blood from her mouth. With an evil grin, Prost pulled the blade free. The pain was numbed by the shock she felt as she fell to the ground.

“Talatha! No!” Avryn roared as he dashed toward Prost.

Once again, Avryn’s Conjured sword passed through Prost’s steel one as if it didn’t exist, and Prost kicked Avryn in the chest.

“Leave me be, Avryn! I don’t want to kill you! I just want the girl—for Riln,” Prost shouted, spinning on the girl again.

Talatha’s vision was fading as blood leaked from her wound. Avryn looked at her desperately, but Prost was there, standing over her. Avryn’s former friend moved with determination toward the kneeling girl, but a flash of blue Light flew from her. Just then, Avryn rushed Prost from behind, shouting a battle cry. Hope blossomed in Talatha’s chest as she watched the barrier come from the girl, a sign that she was Awakening as a Shielder herself. The barrier flew toward Prost and passed through him harmlessly.

Talatha’s eyes widened, and she cried out in shock as the same barrier slammed into Avryn, throwing him backwards.

No—he’s—he’s immune? she thought.

She remembered Prost’s sword passing through Avryn’s and that he’d moved through her Shield, her barrier having no effect.

This was all wrong.

Avryn lay unconscious on the ground, having slammed into a house. Another Shield flew from the girl, the force hitting Talatha and shoving her back a few paces. She groaned in pain, but her vision blurred and her breathing slowed.

Prost reached the girl and picked her up as she fell unconscious either from pain or fright. The large man slung her over his shoulder as the Light faded. With a grimace, he looked at Avryn, shaking his head angrily, then eyed Talatha.

“You know now,” Prost said, his graveled voice traveling over the distant fighting. “I’m immune to your Light. And you’ve paid the price for facing me.”

With hardened eyes, he spun on his heels and disappeared into the forest.

Talatha’s breathing heaved, and distantly, she could hear Alsry moving toward her, shouting her name. Talatha knew Alsry could Fix her, if she just—hurried.

Her eyes leaked tears as she felt herself drifting, knowing her companion wouldn’t make it in time. She cursed herself for not sharing what she’d Seen in the war room. Talatha had planned to tell Avryn about her son, to share that he would Awaken soon, that they needed to get him before Watchlight could.

Now it was too late.

Marric, I’m—sorry, she thought.

Then everything went black.