THE FIRST TONGUE

bling husks of buildings. The town had burned nearly a century ago, but the scen

village remained except a blackened church spire that pierced the sky like a jagged finger, and the cemeter

of the spire. His hand ho

thing wrong h

d home, sifting ash through her fingers. It

ght Bleakrest fell to plague. That

ads like this,"

church. The wooden doors were long gone,

High above, a rusted bell hung silent in its tower. Stained glass

r once stood, lay a wide circular scorch mark. Bl

elt at i

as a rit

A large one. Ma

voice was l

ted to

arcoal, but with what looked like fingernails. Deep, jagged grooves spira

se

ed it with

spered. "Same as the registr

it, a half-burned book lay open, pages f

th

stop

't a re

s a j

closer as sh

silence. The first voice gav

nd gave

mark and we were spared the ash. But

eir dreams bled. Their mout

ow as the fire

d forg

the journal

ague," she said.

sword. "Then

ground beneath the

cra

ore through

came a

his

-

stinctively, but El

s beneath u

ected. "Somethin

ainst stone. The fissure widened, and for a heartbeat, Elias though

mething

ha

too smooth, too perfect, like wax. Fingers curle

ard and drove his

nd shr

nds. A pitchless, primal sc

ord ig

ire, but w

ly Eli

s mouth

pering secret

is mother's grave, co

ng not with wax

ed backwar

the hand vanished into the dark

ide Elias. "Wha

ent. When he finally did, i

Bleakrest wasn't just

circle. "We sh

ushing himself up.

ipped through the red-lined pages. "The ent

owed

est: G

d: Fif

pted

il Opened

e: H

ared. "G

est wasn't a town. It

d. "How many

e first... there are more. And so

-

dge of the ruins, unwilling to sle

didn't c

staring into the em

beside him

eve in fate?

e said

ever since we found that first regis

wh

his. Or di

didn't

t did you see in the vision?

iet for a

"I saw

nal

ing. But it wasn't her s

is shoulder. "W

eft of her," he said bi

speak again

-

ack of the journal Clara had found-a

hollow where the black roots sleep. Seek the tr

first light a

a trail that twisted unnaturally, branches

s pa

e fores

ring, quiet

center:

oozing with rust-colored sap that d

n t

ard slowly. "The t

runk-runes and shapes similar to those in Bleakr

ned. "Where's

elt at t

as an o

oll

ame a breeze-

ck at them.

rew her

ised hi

they descended