Page 76 of Cast in Atonement

“Are there similarities?”

“The frame is the same in either view. What do you see through the wing?”

She poked Hope, who grumbled but adjusted his wing so it covered only one eye. The painting looked the same. It wasn’t Hope’s wings that made the graven words clear. It was probably the marks of the Chosen.

But those marks weren’t glowing. Nothing about them indicated that something was wrong or strange. “It’s the same.” She wanted to see what Terrano could see, but she couldn’t melt her face the way he did.

“Evanton?”

Hope stiffened and let loose a volley of squawks in the direction of the Keeper. Evanton was close enough the noise should have been momentarily deafening, but he failed to hear it at all. His left hand, raised, faced the painting’s surface; his fingers spread, fingertips touching what was no longer paint.

Beneath his hand, the painting darkened; shadows spread out from the tips of his fingers, flowing in five separate directions. Kaylin turned to the Keeper and reached immediately for his left wrist.

Her hand bounced in midair.

Kaylin tried again, but Severn had already begun to move; he was unwinding his weapon chain. The weapon served as a spellbreaker in times of need. As Kaylin watched in growing horror, she realized that it wasn’t shadow that was spreading from Evanton’s fingers; it was the illumination of the painting, the paint itself, that was being absorbed by Evanton’s hand.

That light, dim at first, brightened; Evanton’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t lower his hand.

“Can you let go?” Kaylin shouted.

“It appears I cannot,” the Keeper replied, as if he were talking about mild weather. “My apologies. I believe I now understand the nature of the upset in the elemental garden. I believe it would be best if you—if all of you—left.”

“We can’t just leave you stuck to a painting!”

“Ah, perhaps I was being overly polite. Leave now.” His voice sounded like an earthquake. Kaylin looked up; the hall was unaffected. It was all Evanton. “Lord Bellusdeo, please escort Mrs. Erickson from this manor immediately.”

Kaylin turned to Hope. “Do something! Don’t just sit there!”

I cannot, master. The price you would have to pay for the intervention would exceed your life force, and as such is forbidden.

“Why? Can you just build the barrier around him?”

There are some powers with which even I cannot safely interfere. It is possible I could intervene—but I cannot guarantee that even the Keeper would survive. If that power is aware of my interference, you would certainly not.

“Serralyn’s coming to join us,” Mandoran said. “Bakkon asks us to do everything we can to hold on to the Keeper until he arrives.”

Hold on to him? She couldn’t even touch him.

“Tell them both to stay where they are; there is nothing they can do here,” Evanton snapped. He was annoyed. Or in pain. Maybe both.

Severn had blades in both hands; he passed them above Evanton’s arms, not to wound, but to see if the barrier that had prevented Kaylin’s touch would repel them. It did. He sheathed the blades, took the chain between two hands, and struck the barrier with more force; the chain bounced.

Whatever magic this was wasn’t a magic the chains had been created to break.

It was brighter as well; Evanton’s arms, face, exposed skin, all began to glow.

“You should go,” Terrano said. “Like, now.”

“That is what I suggested,” Evanton said, through gritted teeth.

“Kaylin.” Bellusdeo’s voice was a booming sound, caught by the architecture and magnified. In case the magnification wasn’t enough, she then repeated the word in full Dragon voice.

“But—but the Keeper!”

“He’s certain he’ll survive. He’s also certain most of us won’t. Move.” Bellusdeo had picked up Mrs. Erickson—literally. She began to run back the way they’d come, as if Mrs. Erickson weighed nothing. Mandoran joined them.

“Terrano!”

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