Shadows of light

rt

comes from fire-when you see who st

the forest ju

't look

at f

s. Birds chirped. A fox darted through the underbrush. But Kael felt it almost immed

ollow," Liora sai

ed by

ought here a long time ago. Blood soaked into the r

he canopy, then at

ke trees th

ou like them," she sa

y went, the da

nches. The air turned cool, damp. Kael felt like they wer

ked more guard

ade, her shoulders tense, her jaw clenched

ed to ask

en much since the li

ause of

of somet

ren

a brief rest, Kael fin

ng?" he said, sitting

refilling a flask from a st

s ask," sh

my power flared. Why did you

flask overflow

aint. The more you fear it,

ust let it go wild and h

ing. "You guide it. You feel

say. You've trained your whole lif

her expressi

wanted this

bli

family at six. Trained in silence. Raised in fear. Fed prop

tween them

aid after a moment.

unclenched,

all o

ept wa

r to shoulder. Branches hung low. Mist

mark stirring, faint

aid, "or does the for

to us," she s

e of th

of the

that your poetic way of s

idn't r

e corner of her mo

ursed part of Redhol

rest c

turne

s. The trees no longer reached skyward-th

whispe

in

e w

wr

a

or

e. "Did y

"Ignore it. It feeds on

ws our

lways

ame th

he trees, glowing blue and gold. It didn't burn, b

heart

rew her

to move,"

ped forward, the flame s

ahead v

Where the he

back into hi

r w

ized-her han

visi

en

afraid,"

dn't d

ack things," she whispe

hesit

thinking, he

to l

to p

to an

once-she

orridor, and the phantom fire hisse

ispers

th ret

ding his hand let o

et go,"

did

rt

burn. They smolder-

released

d. The pressure in the air lifted, like e

lingered behin

per. A

ey crossed back i

ped, reaching for

zzy. "I saw something

d. "What d

esit

miling. I thought-" His voice cracked. "I thought mayb

face s

aid quietly. "It shows you what you

wn hard on

al," he muttered. "B

not too close, but

too," she said

urned

e wh

e. But in the forest, I saw them. I was small again. Safe. They w

peak. Just

of herself. Let

stone," he

"But I've learne

camp in a clearing l

She moved in graceful circles, murmuring incantations h

her from

ays watchi

on-but for something

at by the fir

a's skin, softening the sharpness in her features. Her hair was

throat

oked

he no

staring,

back of his

n't

ed back

her look

oked away

erent than I im

ard that

ed. "You're not what I

row. "You expected

itted. "But you've seen darkn

't mean untouched. It means fighting to stay w

nod

ike your ver

le, neith

Kael reached

th con

with

pull away, he laced

caught. H

saw

didn't s

. Calloused from

trem

didn'

between th

a person forget where they

stood

hand gent

" she said, her v

ael said.

heir separate bedrolls

r a lo

drifted off, he dreame

ut o