The Devil's Broken Doll
She blinked hard, but the impression clung.
Lyra whimpered softly beside her. “I don’t want to go up there…”
“You won’t,” Adelaide said immediately. “Do you hear me? You won’t.”
Her mother shot her a warning look, but said nothing.
A hush fell as Elder Thane stepped forward, unrolling the long, brittle parchment. His voice, thin and sharp as a reed flute, cut through the cold air.
“By decree of the Pact, by the Seal of Fire, by the bargain struck a thousand years ago—sixteen names shall be offered.”