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herself, still angry. “Stupid thing,” Jewels said under her breath. “Can’t believe we let you get hurt like this just to protect her.” Hurt. Did that even mean anything to a creature like Clod? He was awake; she could see that his eyes were open. What was the point of sewing up his insides? Would they heal? He didn’t n...
just stand there and die unless you shake them and force them to run.” “I want you to teach me Awakening,” Vivenna whispered. He started, glancing at her. “Do you...want to think about that a bit first?” “I have,” she whispered, arms around knees, chin resting against them. “I thought I was stronger than I am. I though...
said that you’ve always hated Hallandren,” he said, sounding confused. “I have. And I do. That’s why I had to come.” He was silent for a few moments. “Too complicated for a mercenary, I guess.” She opened her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she understood, either. She’d always kept a firm grip on her hatred, only letting it m...
Clod as a “he.” He had saved her life. Not Denth, not Tonk Fah. Clod. It seemed to her that they should show more respect for him. Jewels finished with the muscles, then sewed the skin closed with a thick string. “Though he’ll kind of heal,” Denth said, “it’s best to use something strong in the repair, so the wound doe...
eyes, and she could see something in them. An emotion she couldn’t describe. Again, she thought of the mask he wore—the persona of the laughing, joking mercenary. That man seemed just a front, when she looked into those eyes, and saw so much more. “A good man,” he said, turning away. “Sometimes, I wish that were still ...
steps, calling to Jewels to see if she was hurt. Vivenna watched him go. He’s twice the person I am, she thought with shame, turning toward her room. But I’m just finding it hard to care anymore. Everything had been taken from her. Why not Parlin, too? Her hatred for Hallandren grew a little more firm as she stepped in...
of months, and he knew—through rumors—what her life must be like. Forced to perform her duty as a wife for a man to whom she could not speak and whom she could not know. A man who represented all the things that her culture taught were profane. The only thing Lightsong could suppose, then, was that she was worried abou...
main assembly of gods was called to deliberate only in the most important of situations. In that case, they all had a vote. If the vote was for war, the gods with Lifeless Commands—gods like Lightsong— would be called upon to administrate and lead the battle. “You’ve changed the Commands on Hopefinder’s ten thousand?” ...
need to wriggle my breasts at you again?” “No, please. I don’t know if I’d be able to stand the theological debate that would follow.” “All right, then,” she said, sitting back, looking down at the priests who were still arguing. They sure are taking a long time on this one, he thought. He glanced toward the other side...
had to stand and watch, and things would begin to topple against each other and cause a clatter. There was far too much clatter at present, but that didn’t stop her from thrilling at her part in it. Silly fool, she told herself. Everything you love is in danger and you’re thinking about how exciting it is? She needed t...
very kind to me,” Siri said carefully, trying to present the right image—that of the person she was, only less threatening. A little more confused. “Might I ask which goddess you are, Your Grace?” “I am Blushweaver,” the goddess said. “I am pleased to meet you.” “No you aren’t,” Blushweaver said. She leaned in, eyes na...
he meant. These women, as opposed to her regular servants, wore brown. They were from Pahn Kahl. “You sent me a message earlier,” Bluefingers said. “What did you mean by claiming to have information relating to my plans?” Siri bit her lip, sorting through the dozens of ideas she had considered, discarding them all. Wha...
servant considered unholy. I’m not allowed to touch him or speak to him. But, Princess, I’ve served him all my life. He’s not my god, but he’s something better. I think these priests look upon their gods as placeholders. It doesn’t really matter to them who is holding the station. Me, I’ve served His Majesty for my ent...
sore, tired, and terrified. She tried struggling, but her hands and legs were tied. She succeeded only in rolling herself into an even less comfortable position. She was in a dark room, gagged, her face pressing awkwardly against a splintering wood ﬂoor. She still wore her skirt, an expensive foreign one like those tha...
the corner. She felt tears on her cheeks. “Pick up the sword, Princess.” She had no training with weapons, but maybe...She reached for the sword, but felt her nausea grow far stronger. She groaned, her hand twitching as it approached the strange black blade. She shied away. “Pick it up!” Vasher bellowed. She complied w...
later, Vivenna had finished crying herself dry. She sat slumped, hands tied awkwardly above her. Part of her kept waiting for the others to find her. Denth, Tonk Fah, Jewels. They were experts. They’d be able to save her. No rescue came. Dazed, drowsy, and sick though she was, she realized something. This man—this Vash...
right. The only chance she had to escape was now. Her hands were bound tightly. She’d tried pulling them free several times already. Vasher knew his knots. She wiggled, rubbing more skin off, and she cringed in pain. Blood began to drip down her wrist, but even that slickness wasn’t enough to get her hands free. She be...
That something else became part of her—a limb she could only slightly control. It was more of a sense of the rope than an ability to move it. As the Breath left her, she could feel the world dull, colors becoming slightly less bold, the wind a little more difficult to hear, the life of the city a little more distant. T...
part of a fountain or— Vivenna stopped. A broken statue of a horseman. Why did that seem familiar? Denth’s directions, she thought. When he explained to Parlin how to get from the safe house to the restaurant. That day, weeks back, seemed so vague to her now. But she did remember the exchange. She’d been worried that P...
Not game animals. What she had mistaken for a pheasant in the dim light of her lantern now reﬂected back green. A dead parrot. A monkey hung beside, body sliced and cut. The freshest corpse was that of a large lizard. All had been tortured. “Oh, Austre,” she mumbled. Tonk Fah stepped forward, grabbing for her, and Vive...
bodyguards at the restaurant. Remembered the way they’d destroyed Lemex’s house. Remembered their ﬂippancy toward death. They’d hidden it all behind a veil of humor. Now that Denth had brought another lantern, she could see a couple of large sacks stuffed underneath the stairs; a foot was hanging out of one of them. Th...
Howl of the sun.” “I—” Denth began. At that moment, Clod’s fist hit his face. The blow threw Denth to the side and into Tonk Fah, who cursed and stumbled. Vivenna wrenched free, ducking past Clod—nearly tripping on her dress—and threw her shoulder into the surprised Jewels. Jewels fell. Vivenna scrambled up the stairs....
She raised an eyebrow. “And what color am I to make it?” Red, he wrote. “You Hallandren and your bright colors,” she said, shaking her head. “Do you realize that my people considered red the most ﬂagrant of all colors?” He paused. I’m sorry, he wrote. I did not mean to offend you. I— He broke off as she reached down an...
that it’s hard to separate myself—and the way I view them—from the child I was when I first read them. He began to erase furiously. She sat up then laid a hand on his arm. I know that there are things I’m missing, he wrote. Things that embarrass you, and I have guesses. I am not a fool. And yet, I get frustrated. With ...
left here, I’d miss you too. Sometimes, you can’t have everything you want, since the wants contradict each other.” They fell silent for a time, and he set aside his board, hesitantly wrapping his arm around her and leaning back against the headboard. A blushful tinge of red crept into her hair as she realized that the...
The servants set only one chair at the table. Siri watched as they brought in plate after plate. They couldn’t know what the God King wanted, so they apparently brought him some of everything. They filled the table, then retreated as Susebron pointed for them to go. The scents were almost too much for Siri in her hunge...
said once she could speak. He smiled. This is very curious, he wrote, eating another crispbread. Then another. Then another. Siri watched him, raising an eyebrow. “One would think that as God King, you would at least be able to eat sweets whenever you want.” I have many rules that others need not follow, he wrote as he...
making a scene, running away or causing a distraction.” When outside of the palace, I am constantly attended by a troop of hundreds. Awakeners, soldiers, guards, priests, and Lifeless warriors. Do you honestly think I could make any kind of a scene without being rushed away before I could communicate with anyone? “No,”...
never forget. Something inside of her seemed broken. Her ability to care. She was just...numb. She reached the end of the alleyway, then looked up dully. There was a wall in front of her. A dead end. She turned to go back. “You,” a voice said. Vivenna turned, surprised at the speed of her own reaction. Her mind remaine...
reached up and began undoing the buttons. “Don’t drop it to the ground,” the man said. “It’s dirty enough already.” She pulled it off, then shivered, standing only in her underleggings and her shift. He took the dress, then opened her pocket pouch. He frowned as he tossed aside the rope inside of it. “No money?” She sh...
as she considered the situation. And then she realized something. Tonk Fah snuck up on me down in that cellar. I couldn’t feel his Breath. Just like I couldn’t feel Vasher’s when he ambushed me in my rooms. The answer felt so easy it was ridiculous. She couldn’t feel the Breath in the rope she’d made. She picked it up,...
last part of the dreams. “Her face red and ﬂushed. I saw you, and you were sleeping. And I saw the God King.” “The God King?” Llarimar asked, sounding excited. Lightsong nodded. “He was crying.” The scribe wrote the images down. Llarimar, for once, didn’t prompt further. Lightsong stood, forcing the images out of his m...
didn’t swear in that particular statement. Unless you’re proposing we should swear using the personal pronoun. You! So, your line at this point is ‘What in the name of You are you doing?’ ” She grumbled at him under her breath. He eyed her. “I certainly don’t deserve that yet. I’ve barely gotten started. Something else...
“Yes, dear,” she said. “But why?” “To keep track of how many priests of each god enter the court, of course,” Lightsong said. “They’ve slowed to nearly a trickle. Scoot, would you mind counting?” Llarimar bowed then gathered several servants and scribes, ordering them to empty the urns and count the contents of each on...
this as a distraction,” Lightsong said. “Do you know anything about breaking Lifeless, my dear?” She shrugged. “I didn’t either,” Lightsong said. “Not until I required my priests to break this one. Apparently, it requires weeks to take control of a Lifeless for which you do not have the right security phrases. I’m not ...
it’s quite all right,” he said, standing. “Why bother? I need to remember who I am. Lightsong, self-hating god. The most useless person ever granted immortality. Just answer one question for me.” Blushweaver paused. “What question?” “Why?” he asked, looking at her. “Why do I hate being a god? Why do I act so frivolous?...
their meager earnings seemed an amazing treasure. They knew so much she didn’t—where to sit, how to plead. Passers learned to avoid beggars, even with their eyes. The successful beggars, then, were those who managed to draw attention. Vivenna wasn’t certain if she wanted the attention or not. Though the gnawing pain of...
almost impossible. Every time she got a coin, she spent it on food. She couldn’t help herself. Nothing else seemed to matter. She’d already lost weight. Her stomach growled again. So she sat, sweaty and filthy in the meager shade. She still wore only her shift and the shawl, though she was dirty enough that it was diff...
them. None knew that she was the princess—after that first man, nobody had recognized her. However, her accent had earned her a place. She began to seek out a location to spend the night. That was one of the reasons she’d decided not to continue begging for the evening. It was a profitable time, true, but she was just ...
anything—was a good one for testing out new dishes. She wanted to become familiar with Hallandren, its ways, its people, its tastes. She’d forced her servants to begin talking to her more, and she planned to meet with more of the gods. In the distance, she saw Lightsong wandering by, and she waved to him fondly. He see...
her teeth. In her youth, Siri had ignored the exercises that Vivenna had done to make sure she had complete control over her hair. Siri was an emotional person, and people had been able to read her regardless of her hair, so she’d figured that there was no point in learning to manipulate the Royal Locks. She hadn’t ima...
when she felt weak, she remembered Susebron. Treledees was orchestrating the plot to subdue, control, and eventually kill his own God King. And Siri wanted to know why. “I stopped having sex with the God King on purpose,” she said, keeping her hair dark with some effort. “I knew it would get your attention.” In truth, ...
know much about the history of this kingdom? After your family departed, of course.” Siri frowned, surprised at the question. More than you probably think, she thought. “Not really,” she said out loud. “Lord Peacegiver left us with a challenge,” Treledees said. “He gave us the treasure our God King now holds, a wealth ...
to serve in the roles that the Pahn Kahl women did,” Siri said. “They don’t have to leave me completely—in fact, I still want to talk to some of them. However, the main women who are with me always, they are to be from Pahn Kahl.” “As I said,” Treledees said. “It shall be done. You’ll return to your efforts, then?” “Fo...
she just had trouble making her mind understand. It was her last chance for food this day. One bit wouldn’t buy anything more than a mouthful elsewhere, but here—last time—it had allowed her to eat until she was full. That had been a week ago. How long had she been on the streets now? She didn’t know. She turned, dully...
head spinning, putting her hand against the wall. She took a few deep breaths. The dizzy spells struck often these days. She started forward again. The alleyway was empty, everyone else staying out in the evening to try for a few extra coins. She took the best of the spots—an earthen mound which had managed to grow a s...
black smoke began to twist off the sword, rising from the tiny sliver of blade that was visible. Men cried out, each one scrambling for the sword. The man holding it continued to swing, the weapon hitting with far more force and damage than it should have. Bones broke, blood began to run on the cobblestones. The man co...
if it annoyed their goddess. “I’m developing a new skill,” Lightsong said. “Irritation by proxy!” Llarimar sighed. “What about your speech to Goddess Blushweaver a few days ago, Your Grace? It seemed to imply that you were not going to annoy people as much.” “I said nothing of the sort,” Lightsong said. “I simply said ...
shrugged. “We shall see.” He began to hear shouts of annoyance from inside the palace. He smiled. It took longer than he had expected. Allmother was stubborn, as proved by Blushweaver’s complete inability to manipulate her. As he sat—idly listening to a group of musicians—a priestess occasionally checked on him. Severa...
a man on the docks who owes me allegiance. You have two good hands; you will be put to work sewing nets.” The man looked up, hope glimmering in his eyes. “We will send you back with enough food to care for your family until you learn your new trade,” Allmother said. “Go with my blessing.” The man rose, then fell back t...
armies. That worries me. I mean, I trust her as much as I trust any other Returned. But if war does come, then she’ll quickly become the second-most-powerful person in the kingdom. Only the God King would have more authority.” Allmother regarded him with an unreadable expression. “I figure that the best way to counter ...
to see how you handle them.” Annotations for Chapter 42 Forty-Three Annotations for Chapter 43 Vivenna awoke, sick, tired, thirsty, starving. But alive. She opened her eyes, feeling a strange sensation. Comfort. She was in a comfortable soft bed. She sat up immediately; her head spun. “I’d be careful,” a voice said. “Y...
stopped in the doorway, watching her ravage the fish bones. He didn’t force her out of the seat; he simply took the other chair at the table. finally, he held up the shawl, washed and clean. “This?” he asked. She froze, a bit of fish on her cheek. He set the shawl on the table beside her. “You’re giving it back to me?”...
time she had met this man, he’d bound her, forced her to touch that sword of his, and left her gagged. He ignored her concern, tossing a pile of clothing onto the table. “Put this on.” She picked through it. Thick trousers, a tunic that tucked into them, a vest to go over the tunic. All of various shades of blue. There...
you were the one on the wrong side?” Vivenna froze. “Denth wasn’t working for you,” Vasher said. “He wasn’t even pretending to. Someone in this city hired him to start a war between Idris and Hallandren, and he’s spent these last few months using you to make it happen. I’m trying to figure out why. Who’s behind it, and...
be more likely to prefer the chaos of war. Attacking the Hallandren supplies wouldn’t only make it more difficult to administer the war, it would make the priests more likely to attack while they were still strong. The losses would also serve to make them angrier. It made chilling sense—sense it was hard for her to ign...
arm as she stood there, then pulled her up to the door, upon which he pounded with the hilt of his sword. The door creaked open a second later, and a pair of nervous eyes glanced out. “Get out of the way,” Vasher said, testily shoving the door open the rest of the way and pulling Vivenna inside. A young man stumbled ba...
to the Idrians in these slums? You think things are bad now, wait until you’re seen as enemy sympathizers.” “We know that, Vasher,” another said. “But what do you expect us to do? Submit to Hallandren treatment of us? Cave in and worship their indolent gods?” “I don’t really care what you do,” Vasher said, “as long as ...
needed credibility. She could help. But should she? Vivenna didn’t know what to think anymore. If Vasher was right, she’d been played like a puppet by Denth. She believed that was true, but how could she know that Vasher wasn’t doing the same thing? Did she want war? No, of course she didn’t. Particularly not a war Idr...
“Let them step on us? What does it matter if they do it unintentionally? We still get crushed.” “No,” Vivenna said. “There must be a better way. An Idrian is their queen, now. Perhaps, if we give them time, they will get over their prejudice. We must focus our energies now on keeping them from attacking!” “Your words m...
that you are seen as heroes back in our homeland.” “Heroes, eh?” one of them said. “It would be nice to be known as a hero, rather than the ones who left the highlands to live in brazen Hallandren.” “Please,” Vivenna whispered. “I’ll see what I can do,” one of the men said, standing. Several of the others voiced agreem...
thought. You’re just going to get taken in again. She hadn’t proven herself a very good judge of character. Still, she didn’t pick up the bag of coins. “I am willing to help. Assuming it doesn’t involve anything more than telling others that I wish to keep Idris from harm.” “Good enough.” She hesitated. “Do you really ...
true nonetheless. You’re far too good a person, Susebron.” Sarcasm? he wrote. I certainly hope that it is. “Only half,” she said, lying down on her stomach and watching him across their impromptu picnic setting. Half-sarcasm? he wrote. Is this something new? “No,” she said, sighing. “There is truth sometimes even in sa...
King is more of a vessel than I am. A sheath for a magic weapon.” Exactly, Susebron wrote, hand moving quickly. They had to make my family kings because of how much Breath was in that treasure. And they had to give it to a Returned—otherwise their king and their gods might have competed for power. “Perhaps. It seems aw...
the fact that they were bringing in a new person to be God King when they found one. That still didn’t answer the most important question. What were they going to do to Susebron to get his Breaths away from him? Susebron leaned back, staring up at the dark ceiling. Siri watched him, noting the look of sadness in his ey...
need to be done around the city. Pruning, washing, painting. Anything to be of Service.” He reached over. A little like a king, he wrote. Living a life to serve others. “Sure,” Siri said. “Only they don’t get locked up and they can stop doing it, if they want. Either way, I’m glad it was Fafen and not me. I would have ...
and kissed her. Oh, dear...Siri thought, a dozen objections popping into her head. She found it difficult to move, to resist, or to do anything. Anything other than kiss him back. She felt hot. She knew that they needed to stop, lest the priesthood get exactly what they were waiting for. She understood all of these thi...
and begging their forgiveness, despite how emotionally draining it was. She wasn’t certain if she could repair what she had done, but she was willing to try. This determination seemed to gain her some respect from Vasher. It was much more reluctantly given than Denth’s respect had been. Denth was fooling me the entire ...
seem humble become a form of pride itself. She now saw that when her faith had become about clothing instead of people, it had taken a wrong turn. She wanted to learn to Awaken. Why? What did that say about her? That she was willing to accept a tool her religion rejected, just because it would make her powerful? No, th...
tried something else? “Hold that branch,” she Commanded. Again, Breath left her. More of it this time. Her trousers drained of color, and the rope end twisted, wrapping around the branch. The rest of it remained still. She smiled in satisfaction. So the more complicated the Command, the more Breath it requires. She too...
walk around in grey clothing?” Vivenna blushed as she followed Vasher into the cramped room. He set down his pack and then leaned Nightblood against one wall. Vivenna eyed the sword. She still wasn’t certain what to make of the weapon. She felt a little nauseated every time she looked at it, and the memory of how viole...
Neither does that sense of martyrdom.” She met his eyes. “I want you to teach me more about Awakening.” He shrugged. “What do you want to know?” “I don’t even know how to answer that,” she said. “Denth taught me a few Commands, but that was the same day that you took me captive.” Vasher nodded. They sat silent for a fe...
cloth cut into the shape of a person will take very different amounts of Breath to Awaken, but will be essentially the same once they have been Invested. “The explanation for this is simple. Some people think of Awakening as pouring water into a cup. You pour until the cup is filled, and then the object comes to life. ...
to life in the first place? Why are Lifeless so dull-minded, while Returned fully sentient?” Vivenna nodded. “Creating Type Three BioChromatic entities is what we traditionally call ‘Awakening,’ ” Vasher continued. “That’s when you create a BioChromatic manifestation in an organic host that is far removed from having b...
It’s not really important. The thing to understand is that we’re still children when it comes to Awakening. It doesn’t help that a lot of people who learn new, valuable Commands never share them, and probably die with the knowledge.” Vivenna nodded, noticing how his lesson grew more relaxed and conversational as he got...
of the nearest building. Some of the palaces were dark; the buildings that currently held no gods. What would happen if too many others Returned before we killed ourselves? he thought idly. Would they build more palaces? As far as he knew, there had always been enough space. At the head of the court sat the God King’s ...
and that makes you our god.” Llarimar spoke the words in his usual calm fashion. Didn’t the man ever get upset? “You’re not helping.” “I apologize, Your Grace. But perhaps you should stop arguing about the same old things.” Lightsong shook his head. “This is something different today. I’m not sure what to do.” “You mea...
their armies. Siri is no threat, he thought. But if someone else were manipulating her? Would Allmother have the political savvy to understand the danger? Without his concerned guidance, would Blushweaver see that Siri wasn’t crushed? If he did walk away, there would be a cost. He would be to blame, for he’d given up. ...
large open doorway. Lightsong passed the living human guards and looked in at the Lifeless. He’d forgotten that they kept them in the dark. Llarimar waved for a couple of priests to hold up lamps. The door opened onto a viewing platform. The ﬂoor of the warehouse extended below, filled with line upon line of silent, wa...
specific locations, as when they had been placed in ranks outside the city to greet Siri, and another to make them go with members of the city guard to provide extra muscle. Yet there would only be one person with ultimate command of them. One person who could make them go to war. When he was done in this room, he woul...
complained of not being able to have children as quickly as they wanted, so maybe it doesn’t always happen immediately. I know other women who bore children almost exactly nine months after their wedding night.” Susebron looked thoughtful. A year from now, I could be a mother, Siri thought. She found the concept daunti...
I have told the priests that I don’t wish to go to war, and they appeared sympathetic. However, they have done nothing. “They are probably worried,” Siri said. “If they let you start making policy, then you may begin to think that you don’t need them.” They’d be right, he wrote, smiling. I need to become the leader of ...
general assembly of the court in a couple of days. I have heard my priests say that this will be an important meeting—it is rare that the gods are all called together to vote. That meeting will decide whether or not we march on Idris. Siri nodded nervously. “I could sit with Lightsong,” she said, “and plead for his hel...
Vasher shook his head. Pretty or not, the woman should never have come to Hallandren. She’d given Denth a perfect tool. Of course, he admitted wryly, Denth probably didn’t need that tool. Hallandren and Idris were close to snapping. Vasher had stayed away too long. He knew that. He also knew that there was no way he wo...
figure out who is behind the war—even followed leads in the Court of Gods itself—but everyone is growing more and more tight-lipped. They assume the war to be inevitable, now, and don’t want to be seen as being on the losing side of the argument.” “What about priests?” Vivenna said. “Aren’t they the ones who bring thin...
of the room; they hadn’t had much opportunity to practice, and she still barely even knew how to hold the thing properly. “Well?” she asked as he closed the door. It was already dark outside, and the city was beginning to sparkle with lights. “The robbery was a cover,” Vasher said. “The real hit was that carriage. Dent...
thought I’d make the offer. You’re no prisoner here, Princess. You can do whatever you want. Just don’t get in my way when you do it, understand?” “I understand,” she said, feeling a chill as she made her decision. “And I’m coming.” He didn’t try to dissuade her. He simply pointed at her sword. “Keep that on.” She nodd...
to stay back, then quietly put the rest of his Breath into his rope and crept forward up the hill. Vivenna waited, nervous, kneeling beside a decaying shanty that appeared to have been built from half-crumbling bricks. Why did I come? she thought. He didn’t tell me to—he simply said that I could. I could just as easily...
began to bounce as well. Vasher joined them, as did Vivenna, and she watched as he uncovered a trapdoor hidden beneath a thick layer of dirt. He raised it a tad, then reached underneath. His hand came back out with several small bells, which had apparently been rigged there to ring if the door were opened all the way. ...
the child was covered in grime—all except for lines on her cheeks, which had been streaked clean by tears. Vivenna looked up at Vasher. His eyes were shadowed, his back to the fire, but she could see him gritting his teeth. She could see tension in his muscles. He turned his head to the side, half-illuminating his face...
The sounds of fighting from behind stopped, though men continued to moan. Vivenna recovered her Breath then reached into the cage. The girl cringed, crying out and hiding her face. “I’m a friend,” Vivenna said soothingly. “Please, I’m here to help you.” But the girl wiggled, screaming when touched. Frustrated, Vivenna ...
streetlamp, so she could see him well. He spoke to the little girl, and she spoke back to him. After opening the cage, Vivenna had taken the Breath back from the thread. She hadn’t stowed it somewhere else. And, with the extra awareness she had, she thought she saw something. The girl’s BioChromatic aura—the normal one...
took Misel away from me...I had to stay quiet about what had happened, had to change my arguments, or they said they’d kill her.” Vasher turned away, moving to walk back down the path. “Take your child, keep her safe.” He paused, turning back. “And make certain this kingdom doesn’t use its Lifeless for a slaughter.” Th...
Living with barely any money, dedicating himself to preventing a war. He was rough. He was brutal. He had a terrible temper. But he was a good man. And, walking beside him, she felt safe for the first time in weeks. Annotations for Chapter 49 Fifty Annotations for Chapter 50 “And so we each have twenty thousand,” Blush...
actually, helpless and unable to ignore you. I do apologize.” “I see,” Blushweaver said. “I’m ﬂattered. I think. Yet you seem very good at ignoring some things. Your own divinity. General good manners. My feminine wiles.” “You’re hardly wily, my dear,” Lightsong said. “A wily man is one who fights with a small, careful...
“A feint?” “Yes, an intentionally weak joke to distract from the real one.” “Which is?” Lightsong hesitated, glancing at the arena. “The joke that has been played on all of us,” he said, voice growing softer. “The joke the others in the pantheon have played by giving me so much inﬂuence over what our kingdom will do.” ...
which feeling for you is stronger, Lightsong. My love or my frustration.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I accept them both, Blushweaver. With honor.” And with that, he turned from her and went to his box. Weatherlove had arrived; that left only the God King and his bride. Lightsong sat down, wondering where Siri was...
The two groups of priests closed on her. Siri considered running, but where? Dashing in her long dress—pushing through servants and Lifeless— was hopeless. She raised her chin—eyeing the priests with a haughty stare— and kept her hair completely under control. “What is the meaning of this?” she demanded. “We’re terribl...
He shook his head. “If Denth is here, I couldn’t find him.” “No surprise, considering the size of this crowd,” Vivenna said quietly. There were bodies all around them—hundreds lining the railing alone. “Where did they all come from? This is far more jammed than the other assembly sessions.” He shrugged. “People who are...
were friends?” Vasher turned away and fell silent. Kalad’s Phantoms! she thought in frustration. One of these days, someone in this Colors-cursed city is going to tell me the whole truth. I’ll probably die of shock. “I’m going to go see if I can find out why the God King is taking so long,” Vasher said, leaving the rai...

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