"You'll find me more formidable than you imagined, Saintess." Mother grinned, pleased with herself. The blasts from the Saintess’s hands pierced the vacuum of the mind scape, burning white-hot with the calm fury of the Saintess. But none reached their mark. She was beginning to lose her cool. Mother tilted her head, eyes narrowing, her wicked grin never leaving her face. “For someone so old, you so foolishly thought that your self-righteousness would grant you strength. But your days are long gone and all your power is restricted to this place.” "I suppose I should thank you." Mother continued, ascending as she talked. "You have given me the advantage." A lot of the soul energy the Saintess had fired congregated around Mother. A flick of her finger was all she needed to fire them in the opposite direction. Drawing on the power of the Relic once more, the Saintess constructed a barrier that protected her from the blast. Her face was tight and pensive. "It's time you stop holding on

I have to help them! Broken memories swirled around in her head. She looked into one and knew just how to help. She threw on a cloak and stepped quietly through the door and into the corridor. She steadied herself. This was her moment. There was no time to waste. She subconsciously knew her way through the building, servants bowing and parting for her to pass. It still felt like an unclear dream, the voice shouting in her head to go back to sleep getting louder and louder. “Mother?” a voice called from behind. “You should still be in bed.” She knew the person who spoke before she turned. It was him. Voyne. My son. Our son. the voice said now. She shook her head violently. “Mother, are you alright?” His voice was heavy with worry. “You shouldn’t have stood up yet.” He made a motion to touch her. How should I deal with this? she thought to herself. “Don’t—don’t you dare touch me!” she said, trying to fake the confidence and authority she had seen Mother show in her dream. Sto

The Shards had made it clear. She was on her own. Good.Voyne.She slipped from shadow to shadow of buildings, moving quite clumsily yet determined to take him down. She didn't care. Forward was the only way to take him down.She had begged them. Begged them to let her fight. Yet they turned her away too.They look down on me also.That fury made her leave the protection of the Shards, had her brought back to the city she once fled from. Back to end it all herself.With every step she took she could feel it. She could feel her target getting closer.*******The campfires burned and the wood crackled, illuminating the camp at scattered spots. People huddled for warmth against the night cold, starting a lively chatter through the camp.At the campfire reserved for the Shards, Lyann turned her gaze toward the forest’s edge, where the girl had vanished hours ago.“She’s really gone, huh?” she muttered.“You mean Voyne's secretary?” Somen asked without lifting her head. “If she survives, so

The tension that had sparked at the campfire the night before still hung in the air, thicker now in the pale blue light of dawn. They had gathered again at Luthen's tent, their moods as gloomy as the dawning morning. “You’re being reckless,” Kane said, his arms folded across his chest, his breath fogging in the cold air. “She'd do the same for any of us,” Luthen shot back, his voice sharp. “She’s one of us. Sophie trusted us. She warned us not to go to the Eye—and we’re just going to ignore her?” “She’s compromised!” Lyann gestures in frustration “Mother’s inside her. You felt the shift. We all did. We can’t afford to assume Sophie’s still in control.” Luthen turned toward Jonelle and Reese, who stood slightly apart from the fire, silent since dawn. “She just saved your lives,” he said, pointing to them. “She freed you. Led them here. Risked herself to help you. Is that what a pawn of Mother would do?” “It could be a trap,” Somen in an attempt to evoke reason “Think, Luthen. I

His face came into the weak ray of light.Yet it was all that was needed for her to recognize him.Her eyes widened."Hello, Princess." he said."Are you going to kill me too?" She asked, her heart thumping. "They'll find you and-" "No, of course not. What makes you think so?""You killed those people at the mall and the hospital.""I didn't kill anyone at the mall.""So.....you did kill those at the hospital." She remained wary.He saved me before. But right now... he could just as easily end me.He sighed.Just when I think the past is behind me, the universe gives me a hard reminder.He turned to go. And then paused. "How is Sophie, Klare?"She swallowed.She didn't look up. Her fingers curled around the edge of her cloak. “She’s... she’s fine.” The words left her mouth in a whisper, hollow and barely convincing. “She’s fine.”“No, she’s not. I was there you, remember? I saw it all."Klare’s shoulders trembled. She took a step back, then sat abruptly on the steps behind her, as if