THE GOLDEN HEART OF ASHBORNE

limbed, the colde

e hollow, echoing cold of a pl

ls etched with faint golden script. The symbols shimmered as she passed, reacting to her prese

ahead without

ot offer

d she wou

fused t

she asked, glancing at the sh

" Elias rep

s reas

ntion. If you intend harm

it think

nced at her ov

would alre

r eyes. "You're

. "If I were enjoyin

r mouth twitched

dian and gold. A symbol rested at its center-a heart spli

osopher'

is palm agains

oor i

n breath-before it exhaled a so

er beyond

ined with tall windows that revealed the sprawling capital below. Sunlight filter

k of gold and crystal-a skeletal structu

s bea

errif

its chambers. Glass conduits carried faint streams of lum

ser before she c

truct pu

e

omp

it?" she

oundation," El

t could res

aid quietly. "W

d the arti

ls... l

sti

nel

s missing something i

jaw ti

g stability.

ue-but she didn

ilt thi

es

hy

ardened. "

aid softly.

retched be

e turn

e said briskly. "Descri

d slowly b

of glass vials and began mixing solut

Animals born with hollow eyes. Nightmares.

oze a

be the

yes, recalling t

s. Ancient. B

xpression

occurring curse," he sa

nment o

e was answ

der than eit

led through

Heart flick

ively stepped

s no

t tou

gnore

just inches from the

diated fr

rtifi

enti

ting," she

fluctuations," he said

her palm gently aga

xploded

n filamen

rapid succession

lunged toward the

aw your

doing a

ecisely th

pulsed aga

iquid in its c

wed from her into the con

ees bu

er before she

uched her, the s

ic collided with her gold

l framework

h

b

n

ea

ona

iv

ough the chamber lik

en it

ight

crashe

nst Elias's ches

construct in st

nded," he

t knew me," she

abruptly, as

abilized months

it wo

dn't

she wa

ts creation, the Philosoph

the tall windows, sipping a bitt

ct," he said from across the cha

feeling," s

uires c

fractured the f

w tigh

ssume

serve

pac

atche

lly guarded, his moveme

o defeat death,"

lders st

n oversimp

id you

tion hun

not r

air shifted-like a wo

y, he

sist

ere quiet.

g curse. I could slow

chest t

ied to rew

es

id it

ed at h

y lo

N

able carried ye

ftened bet

the ton

rry," s

d his head

not tha

d in the ro

ash echoed

them s

her

agains

shifted instantly b

not a

a s

wer tr

would

rgy erupted through

idian c

shards

three armored figures c

e the sigil of

eyes wen

d the pe

came a smooth voice f

d as though steppi

ly dressed. Sm

settled

red. "The miss

shift subtly i

tec

ep," Elias

ftly. "On the con

licked to

st sha

along than I

eave," El

tilted

sh such poten

d soldiers

pulse

li

ind me,"

an f

kno

sion star

s no time to

t soldie

apped hi

rom the floor, binding

ised he

ard, slamming the secon

d with detache

ble," he

free of a binding and ch

br

ting the blade with a shi

eched agai

er shook

art fl

tab

" Dorian

fted

ed out, wrapping a

as the magic

s's composur

s smile

is the w

upted from Eli

round the sold

ndows

raled towa

stepped backward, d

an said smoothly. "But brillian

drils t

g her magic-but Dorian's

ical

cti

rong move and the tendri

flicked to t

he said lightly. "But understand this: w

ad body," E

smiled

an be a

f his wrist, h

as he and his remaining sol

ce fo

y Lyra's unev

at her sid

you h

e," she

hands

ed her

they were cl

lsed faintly

iv

ng

an k

uld r

xhaled

lerates ev

et his

accelerat

m smile touc

t frighte

itted. "I just

softly, settling

ds rolled ove

and exten

ithout hesita

sparked-but

ntio

" he said. "Then we fi

nced at

med br

ong

nterference had only

than we're willing to

ed-but his grip on

define what

cks spread through th

orest, the earth

old and silver magic, some

ust p

dest