THE GOLDEN HEART OF ASHBORNE

capital was quieter

there was no

too much h

blurred past in muted gold and green. The land felt different now. Lighter in Ashbourne Hollow-

ak

as rode in thou

anything, he seemed more present-more aware of her i

g something," Ly

culating,"

ren't th

ofte

iled f

r a moment, the guarded e

ach one that resurfaces is m

ctured by force," she replied.

dded

, I believed emotion to be volatile conta

d n

ed at h

it is the missi

carrying the dis

e final hill be

ance-dark stone threaded with faint go

the teth

knew they

nger," she

es

st from the

dn't

didn't

h knew t

stabilizing be

opened before th

s a d

wel

inside firs

cold and sterile. The sigils along the walls

just inside t

grating,"

," Lyra

together to th

nger incomplete. The fragment retrieved from the serpent now rested seamlessly wi

nce as th

e

ona

xhaled

els...

iously, though there

rever

studying the sigils orbiting the construct

lted he

ing like it's

," he

it's

e faintest cur

e Heart-but stopped

pped bes

ing, they placed their

here was no

xplo

war

t by drawing from them

ulses a

tertwined, spiraling inw

nt, Lyra felt something else

res

ci

ri

ough the lat

haled

u feel

Elias w

ce did not

bser

h

nfurled be

fo

vi

all of shifting light. Not

hing

with runes predating any kingdom. At the center of

ordial

breath

t ours," s

eed quietly. "I

through the hall li

but understood-echoe

require

ut compassi

thout structu

r, they

sion r

hand tighten sli

were trying to rep

es

re building

hifted-focusin

intertwin

her that b

l began

reverberated t

hat you

vision

ce more in th

owed brighte

back slowly, b

not a hall

softly. "It wa

his hair, composure

y an artifact," he murm

mething

es

silence

ng political dominance, he had n

toward th

more over the capital-but t

ar

cipa

ate would change thro

wo

hrone isn't m

ed her at

kingdom wi

nt stirred in

bann

than

tomach t

isn't re

greed. "He's

ess, a sudden pulse of dark en

flared i

defe

er

urned

did

gaze d

cing inst

wer tr

e capital, a

erupted upward like a

oed faintly

pulse p

the ley lines,

es

the Heart

filled with

responding to the rupt

face

e directly, it

f we d

destab

locke

e hesi

e calc

cho

ped forwa

ou," she s

harder than any ac

ped bes

I y

hands against th

they did

ope

gh Lyra like sunl

h Elias like lightni

d-not physically,

across the capital in a w

hrough the ley lines, gol

crus

anc

ed spire

energy dissolved i

ggered as his ritual cir

" he h

e him burst into harm

a felt the city's magi

ave r

eart

mber fe

haled

her shoulders

e expansion,

did

ose-closer th

of nec

f gra

ng," he sa

ut w

is not vo

eath c

reso

ed between them

e capital

anners st

still p

g had shifte

le would

ce re

r sh

at the Heart

with quiet

we

ambi

dian

something ancien

s no

orizon where Dorian's manor stood silhouetted

again-strong

orebo

olu

eep within lands untouched by crown or tower

Ashborne was no lo

s a b

ld had begu