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Prologue

“In all your life, your only choice,” Aunt Léonie said to her once, “is the path of needles or the path of pins”

Rachelle remembered that, the day that she killed her

When Rachelle elve years old, Aunt Léonie picked her to becoe’s next ife

Rachelle had been to her aunt’s cottage a hundred tiht and proper, hands clasped in front of her Aunt Léonie knelt before her, wearing the white dress and red mantle of a ife

“Child,” she said, and Rachelle’s spine stiffened because Aunt Léonie only called her that when she was in trouble, “do you know the purpose of a ife?”

“To weave the chare,” Rachelle said promptly “And remember the ancient lore”

Rachelle thought she would like weaving the yarn through her fingers She knew she would love learning the old tales But she wished that ives still went on quests She wanted to live the stories, not just tell thee children

“And as the first ife?” asked Aunt Léonie

“Zisa,” said Rachelle “Because she was the first person to protect anyone from the Great Forest, when she and Tyr killed the Devourer”

“And who is the Devourer?” asked Aunt Léonie

“The god of the forestborn,” said Rachelle “Father Pierre says he doesn’t really exist, or anyway he’s not a god, because there is only one God, and he made heaven and earth; he doesn’t try to eat them But whatever the Devourer was, he had the sun and the moon in his belly until Tyr and Zisa stole them and put them in the sky”

Father Pierre said that wasn’t true either, but Rachelle didn’t see how he could be so sure when he hadn’t been there three thousand years ago And she liked that part of the story

“He is the everlasting hunger,” said Aunt Léonie in a voice of grination “And yes, once he held all the world in darkness, and once all mankind was ruled by the forestborn, who hunted us like rabbits”

A thread of uneasiness slid through her stomach “Tyr and Zisa killed the Devourer,” she said “Zisa died, and Tyr beca”

“No,” said Aunt Léonie “Tyr and Zisa only bound hi is nearly worn out”

She said the words so simply, it was a moment before Rachelle understood the lurch of real fear

Quietly, relentlessly, Aunt Léonie went on, “One day soon he will open his eyes and yawn, and then he will s up the ain” She met Rachelle’s eyes “Do you believe me, child?”

“Yes,” said Rachelle as her heart beat, No, please, no, but when she met Aunt Léonie’s eyes, she had to think, Maybe

It’s all right, she told herself Aunt Léonie will save us

But Aunt Léonie didn’t plan to save anyone