Page 57 of The Sunlit Man

“Humor me,” Nomad said. “Tell me. There’s something different about the sunhearts that make the Charred, right? You all handle these ones without problems—but touch one of those, and they burn away the body and create a monster. Why?”

“We…don’t know,” Rebeke admitted. “You’re right that theCinder King has access to strange sunhearts with terrible powers—we call them cinderhearts. They glow with a harsher light and consume anyone who touches them. We don’t know where he got them, but they are how he rules. First, with the one in his own chest, giving him the ability to feed on thousands of souls. Second, with the ones he uses to make his Charred, who serve him.”

There’s some Connection going on there, I suspect,Auxiliary said.Looking at his cinderheart and those of the Charred, his glows even more brightly. And they seem to react to his mental commands. Have you noticed?

He hadn’t, but he trusted Aux, who picked up on things he didn’t.

“I still want to know what you’re doing to my sister,” Rebeke said. “And why you’re doing it.”

“I’m learning,” Nomad said, making some notes. “I’ve done nothing harmful to her, just siphoned off a little of her Investiture. But this isn’t enough. Otherwise, those bracers would be enough. Or, storms, having one of you touch her would be enough. I have to get at the core of the soul and remove the residue cankering it…”

“For what?” Rebeke said. “I barely understand what you’re saying, but I donotsee how this helps us build engines.”

He ignored her. If he was going to figure out how to use this process to remove the Torment from his soul, he needed a stronger transfer. Maybe he needed to press the sunheart into her skin? When the Cinder King created one of his warriors, he jammed the cinderhearts in deep.

He held up the sunheart next to the cinderheart at Elegy’s core and found hers was a darker shade. “Auxiliary,” he said, stepping as close as he dared to examine it. “That’s not anti-Investiture, is it?”

Doesn’t feel like it,Auxiliary said back.But I’m not the best at spotting that.

“It seems corrupted—overlaid with some kind of…membrane or coating. Like the skin of a fruit.” He thought for a moment, then said to Rebeke, “It’s important that we both understand that my next action isn’t intended to hurt her in any way.”

“That sounds ominous,” Rebeke said, stepping toward him. “Why do you say it that way?”

“Because I need to believe it,” he said. He held up the glowing sunheart—then touched it to Elegy’s cinderheart and spoke the proper prayer. “Bold one on the threshold of death, give this sunheart your dying heat that it may bless those who still live.”

Elegy started screaming. Rebeke grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away. She threw her entire weight at him, which wasn’t a ton, considering her size. He remained steady, watching the darkness on Elegy’s cinderheart drain away.

Just like, he hoped, the canker on his own soul would. It wasworking. Finally Rebeke grabbed onto his arm and hung there, her entire five-foot-tall frame dragging down on his muscles. That was enough to make him budge, and he was forced to pull back and push Rebeke off.

“I told you,” he snapped, “I wasn’t intending to hurt her!”

“Intent or not,” Rebeke shouted, “that’s what you did! She’s helpless! I want you to remand her to the care of our authorities. I won’t stand for her to be your pawn.”

He stepped toward Elegy again, but Rebeke threw herself between them, frantic. Until, behind her, a new voice spoke.

“Who are you?” Elegy said, throat obviously raw, her words ragged—like from an engine too long without oil. “Let me go.”

Rebeke froze, then spun, gasping. Elegy sneered at them and shook her chained arms, but the motions lacked the wild ferocity of moments earlier. More remarkably, she could speak. He’d never heard one of these Charred speak before. Her cinderheart continued to glow, but now in a purer, vibrant shade. Like magma at the heart of a crater.

“Let me go!” she said, louder.

“Elegy?” Rebeke said, stepping forward, reaching out with gloved fingers.

“Let. Me. GO!”

“Well,” Nomad said, tossing the glowing sunheart onto the table, “that worked.” He began making notes.

“You were trying to cure her?” Rebeke said, spinning back to him. “Why didn’t yousaythat?”

Cure her? Oh right. Well, that was the side effect. He paused, then said, “I didn’t know if it would work, and didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

Storms, the younger woman began to cry. She took him by the arm, then struggled to get her glove off, to press her skin to his in thanks. “You have earned heat today,” she whispered, “and I misjudged you. You are a wonderful,wonderfulman. Thank you.”

Cute, the knight says. How long has it been since anyone looked at you with true admiration?

Did it matter? He pushed her back firmly. She let him, then looked to Elegy, who watched them with a deep frown.

“Tell me who you are,” Elegy demanded. “And why I’m in these chains. What happened to the voice?”

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