They werehere.
But Viri couldn’t do a single thing to help them, couldn’t evenseethem beyond the lights flashing across her vision as the strength of the ellixen ward slammed into her, blinding her with pain, forcing her to stumble and curl in on herself as her nerve endings shrieked in agony—something that only deepened when the hilt of the reaper’s dagger smashed into her temple.
Her pain vanished in an instant.
Because she dropped to the ground, unconscious.
The Journal of Celestial Mage Kadmus Castro
Eighth Sun, Fourteenth Cycle, Twelfth Age
They’re coming for me. The mages. Tephryn.
I can’t—I don’t—
Zeranthe
She’s—She’s—
What have I done?WHAT HAVE I DONE?
Orion came tonight—and death came with him.
Just not the death I had planned.
At first, everything went exactly as it was supposed to. My followers and I were gathered inside the White Tomb awaiting the comet’s arrival, our sacrifice laid out on the altar stone, ready for what was about to unfold. Magistratus Garrin didn’t even need to stage an “accident,” because a volunteer came forward—a devoted shallow who believed in our cause so deeply that she was willing to pay the ultimate price. It eased my conscience, knowing she’d agreed to it, and that I wouldn’t be committing cold-blooded murder.
As it turned out, I was wrong about that. Though it wasn’t her who I killed.
I never had the chance.
Because just as Orion appeared at the edge of the night sky, just as I started chanting and began to reach for the comet’s power, just as I was about to drive my ritual bone dagger downward and complete the sacrifice—I remembered something.
In my desperation, in myhubris, I’d forgotten that Orion requires one more element than Aurora for the channeling to work.
Ellixen abyssus.
Before I could find a way to salvage the ritual, disaster struck. Because out of nowhere—
Magic slammed into me.
It wasn’t Orion’s magic.
It wasn’t the magic of the Hallow Stream, breaking free on its own.
No, it was my beloved Tephryn.
And she wasn’t alone. Every mage on the isle had come for us, having somehow learned of our plans to destroy the obelisks.
Quickly, so very quickly, everything went wrong.
Or maybe it went right.
…But then it went very,verywrong.
I can’t
I don’t
