MasukElvanya’s PovThe breach outside the gate began consuming the outer district within the first hour.It did not move at a steady pace. It expanded in surges. Quiet for twenty minutes and then a pulse and the edge of the consumed area moved outward by another thirty feet and more of the outer district went silent.Lira had the evacuation running before Kael finished issuing orders. She did not wait to be told. She had her people moving within minutes of the breach appearing and by the time Kael called the war council the outer districts were already emptying.But the breach was faster than the evacuation.I stood on the inner wall and I watched the army hold the perimeter and I watched the perimeter fail. Not because the soldiers were not doing their jobs. Because the Void creatures that came through the breach could not be stopped by swords and spears and anything that got within range of the creatures simply stopped.
Kael’s PovThe news came at dawn on the fifth day.Two reports within twenty minutes of each other from two different riders from two different directions.The first one came from the south."Southern Wastes," the rider said. "A breach opened overnight near the nomadic routes. Sera's clan territory."The second one came from the west."Western Mountains," the second rider said. "A breach. In the high passes near the trading routes. Storm's family territory."I looked at Lira.Both at the same time. Not within hours of each other. Within minutes. The Void Court had opened both simultaneously and the message in that timing was clear to me even before Eldric confirmed it.I sent for Eldric."Both at the same time," I said when he arrived. "Two breaches. Two territories with personal connections to two of our four divine children. Simultaneously.""Yes," Eldric
Elvanya’s PovEldric crouched in front of the children and he took out the instruments he carried on a cord around his neck and he moved them through the air around Luna and Kieran slowly and methodically.He was quiet for a long time."Eldric," I said."I need a minute," he said.He kept working with the instruments and then he sat back on his heels and he looked at his readings and then he looked at the two children sitting on the floor and he looked at the readings again."Tell us," Kael said."When their aspects locked together," Eldric said slowly. "When the lock happened and the room shook. That was not an uncontrolled energy discharge.""What was it," I said."It was a resonance state," Eldric said. "A full resonance state between two aspects."He looked at us and I could tell from his face that he was working out how to say the next thing."The ancie
Kael’s PovEldric looked at me and I looked at him and we both already knew what the next thing was."Luna," I said."Yes," Eldric said. "The moon aspect is the natural complement to the sun aspect. Theoretically it can calm uncontrolled sun energy. But getting close to what he is producing right now risks burning Luna's own power significantly.""How significantly," I said."I do not know," Eldric said. "There is no precedent for uncontrolled divine power at this level in a child this young. What I know from the texts is that the moon and sun aspects have a calming effect on each other when they interact. What I do not know is how much of Luna's power the interaction would cost her at this scale."Elvanya was already moving toward the door."I will get her," she said."Wait," I said."Kael," she said."Let me tell her what is happening first," I said. "Not what we nee
Elvanya's Pov Kieran did not cry.He went very still. He was standing in the doorway of the war room and Tomas turned and saw him and neither of them said anything for a moment and then Tomas crossed the room and picked up his son and held him and Kieran put his arms around his father's neck and that was all.Kael looked at me and I looked at him and we both stepped back and gave them the room.I waited in the corridor outside and after a while Tomas came out carrying Kieran and he said he was going to take him somewhere quiet and I said yes and I watched them go.I found Luna in the practice room and I told her what had happened.She listened to all of it and she did not ask questions. She set down what she was holding and she said "where is he" and I told her and she went.I followed at a distance. Tomas had taken Kieran to a small room near the garden that got afternoon light and when Luna arrived
Kael's PovThe rider came in on the third morning of the fault line work and the look on his face when he came through the gate was the kind of look that means you already know the news is bad before he opens his mouth.I was in the war room with Lira and Aldred and two of the earth mage elders and I stepped out to hear what the rider had to say."Eastern Isles," he said. He was breathing hard from the ride. "A breach. Opened this morning. One of our ships spotted it from the water and sent a fast boat back.""Location," I said."The main island," the rider said. "The northeastern coast. The fishing district."My stomach dropped. I knew what was in the fishing district of the main island because Tomas had described it to me when he first arrived. His village. His wife. The life he had before Kieran was born with a sun mark."How large," I said."The ship captain could not get close en
Elvanya's PovThe wine glasses were falling. The silver tray slid down, i saw the red wine splash through the air. I waited for the crash, the noise, the death. My eyes were shut tight, i braced for the sharp sting of glass and the final blow.Then suddenly a rush of cold air hit me. It was very fa
Elvanya's PovI walked back down to the servant quarters. I was shaking the whole way and sweating under the rough fabric of my dress. I was alive but not safe at all. I still had the secret of the Moon Mark hidden on my back, and the King knew about it and had told me to hide it. He said I was hi
Elvanya's PovHe said the words again, “Show me your back.”I had plans to disobey and just say no, but I knew I was dead if I disobeyed. I was dead if I obeyed. Disobedience meant a faster, harder death. I had no choice but to follow the command and die quietly.I took a shaky breath and slowly t
Elvanya's PovThe beast let Senna go and pushed her off his lap. She fell hard onto the cold stone floor, he laughed again. The others were still laughing too. The noise was horrible.Senna got up fast. She didn’t cry or look at the beast. She didn’t look at anyone, she just walked out of the hall







