Page 56 of Flame and Sparrow

“The veilhounds guard the edge of this realm, as well as the space between it and the mortal realm—Eligas—and its pathways,” said the God of Death. “They help me herd mortal souls into the afterlife when necessary. The pack before us is particularly adept at devouring the ones who attempt to cross into places they shouldn’t—though they are guarding against a different kind of threat at the moment.”

A different kind of threat…

Was it related to the trouble Rieta had mentioned?

“They seem to have noticed your arrival,” he said.

I looked down to the sight of no less than ten of the beasts lifting their long faces toward us as if trying to better catch my scent in the chill breeze. A chorus of low, wailing howls rose from their throats, making me shiver. The trembling shook me inside and out; I couldn’t suppress it no matter how hard I tried.

“We should get closer.” The Death Marr smiled his jagged smile at me again. “A quickgameto see if you’re worthy of even starting the process of ascension, or if you’re wasting our time.”

Warning bells clanged loudly in my mind. My involuntary trembling became so violent I worried it might shake the cliffs beneath my feet hard enough to start an avalanche.

I was finally realizing just how far I’d wandered from my safe little house and its golden fence, and the reality of the danger surrounding me officially began to overwhelm my curiosity.

“I…I don’t want to get closer,” I said.

“How disappointing,” he tutted.

I took a step away from him only to nearly lose my balance as the stone beneath me crumbled as easily as sand, leaving the already too-narrow clifftop even smaller than before.

“Take me back to your palace, and I’ll find my own way after—”

He cut me off with a dark laugh. “Very commandingfor a mortal being, aren’t you?”

The cold of his magic enveloped me again, but this time it didn’t feel heavy; whereas before it had settled like chainmail upon my shoulders, pushing me down, now it felt more like it was howling through me, latching on to my very heart and soul, pulling out my will to stay conscious and on my feet.

Draining me.

I’d seen very little Death magic in action in my home realm, but I’d heard plenty of terrifying stories of how it could bleed victims dry of more than just blood. At the moment, all I could think about was the effect this draining power could have on other types of magic—how it could void those energies and render them useless.

Panic unfurled in my chest at the thought of my sparrow’s spell being fully undone. He’d read my mind earlier; what had he seen? Did he already know what I truly was underneath?

Was he trying to expose me more fully?

“Stop,” I cried. “Stop! I want to go back—I needto go—I—”

“Go? Already? Have you gotten the answers you trespassed for? I don’t think you have.” His voice bordered on violent now, and I inwardly cursed myself for my stupidity.

Now what?

Almost as soon as the panicked thought crossed my mind, an orange light flared on an adjacent clifftop, drawing my gaze.

Fire.

And not the cold, pale blue flame like the torch I’d carried into Harithyn—this was bright and brilliant, almost blinding, even from a distance. It drew the attention of the Death Marr, too, and sent another chorus of howls rising up from the veilhounds down below.

The fire didn’t seem to draw any closer to us—only the heat from it did. I inhaled sharply as hot wind seared my face, bringing a swirling haze of ash and embers with it.

My mind, dazed as it was, still knew better than to touch fire—yet I stretched out my hand, thinking of catching one of the bright flickers as it twisted down.

After a long, mesmerizing moment of watching them, a single ember floated like a feather down into my upturned palm.

The draining cold of the Death Marr’s magic was burned away almost instantly. I felt myself growing heavy again, but in a pleasant way this time—like the sort of heaviness that comes from sinking into a bed after days of no sleep.

Several moments passed in this pleasant, heavy warmth. My eyes fluttered shut. I don’t know how long they stayed shut before a calm, deep voice pushed through the haze and said, “This one belongs to me, Death.”

And Death replied, “Then why was she in my territory?” As he spoke, the terrible emptiness threatened again, blowing through my body like a cold wind.

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