THE GOLDEN HEART OF ASHBORNE

her's Heart

cond moon suspended within the tower'

ory hearth. She had insisted on remaining close to the Heart after the creatur

eth

le.

iv

the balcony overlooking the capital

it insulted you," Lyra mu

the tower," he repl

freed what

lders st

s were n

ey wer

lly fac

I believed

d n

rifted to

dering the defini

at up

ature was

s unst

as hu

ied her

l its re

no

Not vengea

ed once-as if

steps toward the c

t grief and refine it into structured energy,"

to distil

es

gently. "Sorrow isn't

aled s

uld you know

ed-not with ang

s twelve. Fever took her in three d

s st

er back," she continued. "I poured magi

nd

s still

between them-

ld a tower," El

plied. "I pla

ound them-not heav

glowed s

anc

not only power-b

ought unse

k the tower's outer wa

barrier just long enough to cat

s expression sh

t is

urne H

est ti

pe

Elias said evenly. "Under t

pulse p

the curse i

the source,"

e looking f

need to sa

as le

toward th

going

ped in fro

N

re my

ill expect th

while he thr

t walk in

od inche

mmand me," sh

d. "But I can r

n re

ill attempt to destabilize it," Elias sai

e is integ

cut throug

alte

sa

conf

y, he

o tog

bli

d leave t

not send

ed between them-une

odded

we lea

d smaller from the rid

ished-jus

quare. Armed soldiers stood beside the well, s

ger coil low

but unmistakable-silver magic coiled be

ak first,"

ched a

set somethi

es

thing, she sm

d into the sq

ations

ers s

yr

the villagers-relief, fea

ward from the step

le was

ed. "The prodigal herbal

ned his hea

d Ka

hemi

tween them was

aze shifte

al disturbances," he said smoothly.

resilience," Lyr

dee

licked bet

celerated

ted a mistake

s smile

ntability.

ers watche

epped f

isdiction here,"

expressio

sent the

resent a

agers inha

closer to her-not r

scended t

e said softly. "Power is safes

t when balanced

he four of them-the villagers, the so

h

ld sc

one t

the square, the

dered through t

stomach

ldn't-" El

ssure

dark vapor-thic

guar

frac

hing

ped back in

sharpening. "It appears your

ound e

ed upward-scaled in obsidian s

agers sc

did

n towa

Elias

red, towering a

locked

tion fl

rt's re

to me," sh

racing to her side. "It

rom a safe dista

rpent

with a shield of

asted both of

crambl

ight it the

eside her, b

t fully

given shape

ent lung

Lyra didn

epped

ned her

utward-not shar

a

ea

t faltered

en eyes

thout understandin

hissed-but

onfu

e instability trembl

eside her-

ed, weaving careful

omina

por

ned, forming a luminous l

hed-the

across the squar

expressio

ing," he

to dissolve-not violently, but gr

dark crystal clattered

roached c

t, exam

ix," he said grimly. "Frag

ooked

f," she said softly. "You

oat tig

ped forward

htly. "Unregulated mag

urned

ated greed

rs murmured

's jaw

d quietly. "And when the Heart completes-its a

as," Elias re

es flicked

ble passed throug

smiled

Continue you

rned

er reshapes fate, it re

signaled his m

ly reclaimed

haled s

ose bes

ckless," he

ollowe

es

et hi

t try to contr

N

n lingered b

n approaching-grat

tention remai

nging," she

udied

m

t try to c

ould

hy

esit

truth felt

usted you," h

eath c

ds were

prof

clouds beg

through for the

anished completel

felt l

cu

fini

heal

d the distant silh

with each fragment reclaim

o we," Ly

shed-not accide

hread betwee

iv

eaka

pital-far below stone and soil-so

enra

bo

chi

it