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"And you know how?"

A pause. "Not exactly."

"Eravic."

"The ones who created it accounted for that. If the placement is wrong, if the timing is wrong, if anything about it is not correct—" He shrugged. "It will not take."

"So your plan is to press an ancient magical object into my chest and hope?"

"When you say it like that, it sounds less reassuring."

"It sounds exactly as alarming as it is."

He laughed. "I will not force it. If you are uncomfortable, we wait."

I looked down at the Arrolyn, then back at him. "My mother trusted you."

His expression softened. "Yes."

"So do I."

A long silence. Then: "Will it hurt?"

His expression turned serious. "I do not know."

My eyebrow lifted. "You do not know?"

"I have never done it before."

"And yet you are the one doing it?"

"I am apparently the most qualified person available."

"That is not comforting."

"It was not intended to be."

I looked at the Arrolyn in his hand. It was smaller than I would have expected. Black and smooth and small, about the size of the tip of an arrow.

I frowned. “It looks quite unimpressive. Are you sure you found the right one?”

He barked a laugh. “There is only one, and I am certain this is correct. Whenever I hold it I feel the ancestors whispering.”

“How strange,” I murmured. In truth it sounded terrifying to have dead relatives whispering and even worse yet that he has been carrying it in his cloak which means he must have them whispering at him all day.

I decide not to ask further questions.

“I am ready,” I said.

I unlaced the top of my leather dress, relieved that the corset was front facing tonight. I closed my eyes and said “Hurry up, then.”

I heard him chuckle and lean over. He placed it on the center of my chest. It felt cold and metal. “Are you with me?”

“Yes, because you haven’t done anything⁠—”

A jolt of harsh, electric pain rushed through me before I could finish my sentence. I heard him say my name, his voice sounding worried. Then everything went dark.

When I opened my eyes, I was still in the chair, this time with a blanket over me.