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Ravenna’s lips coan

The dark iven her the sword? You swore that you would not, not until--"

She shook her head "I thought to spare you"

"No!" Melkior cried "Lady, hold off Hold off until I coe vanished Ravenna whirled "Haste, child," she said urgently "I had hoped to accomplish this while Melkior was yet occupied with your companions, but he will be here in another moment

Quickly--draw the sword"

Aeriel stared at the Ancientlady "Ae man?" she stammered

The dusky lady hurriedly shook her head "No I would not ask that of you Nor would I wish any harm to colaive"

Aeriel did so The blade leapt fro it burned and whispered

"Hold it up before you," Ravenna bade

Aeriel held the glaive point-upward, clasping its long hilt in both hands It seehdy, deliberately, the Anciendady brought her paly course through the blade The pearl upon her brow blazed, and for athe sword flared in a wreath of burning colors

"Sheathe it," Ravenna said

Aeriel slid the blade, whitelit again, into its case The light of the pearl on her brow had di her hand, the Ancienlady seemed suddenly short of breath

"Don’t fear," she said

Carefully, she cupped her palirl’s forehead Aeriel felt a sudden rushing, as of hurding headlong, or as of so out of Ravenna and into the pearl Its force held Aeriel transfixed She could not have moved if she had wished Only snatches reached her ics, indescribable sorceries, the woven patterns for all living things-- all winding themselves away, unreadable, in the jewel’s depths Already the diread had begun to dwindle and slacken Aeriel felt a change of air as, all at once, the wall behind Ravenna parted, and her liege h

"Stop!" he cried "Lady, stop--"

Gently, the Ancient took her palirl’s brow "Peace, Melkior," she whispered, turning

"It’s done"

Her voice was hollow, her face gone ashen beneath the dusky color of her skin The dark ed into his are lass floor The Ancientlady was dying; Aeriel realized it in horror The pearl, blazing now, enabled her to feel some echo, as beneath her own breastbone, of the other’s heart, now guttering like a spent lamp’s fla to her knees beside her and Melkior

Ravenna lay supine in the dark reat effort, she spoke

"Child, have you not understood… a word I have said? All athered-- I have placed into that jewel You hter Destroy Oriencor’s army,"

Ravenna breathed, "and put the pearl into her hand"

A gririp upon her tightened "No, Lady," he implored her "Don’t leavehis cheek "Had I another choice… but we both know I must"

Her eyes drifted closed Her hand upon the other’s cheek slid to the floor No breath now stirred the Ancientlady’s breast: no pulse ht Aeriel, stunned How can that be? She shook her head, her thoughts disjointed Soon she will be turning into ash Then, No, the Ancients’ bodies do not crumble at death They remain perfectly preserved, forever, unless they are burned For a long moment, Melkior simply stared at his lady’s still for in the open doorway, Aeriel caught sight of the three duaroughs: Maruha, Colluh woman looked as fit as the other tell recovered fro back, as if in reverence turned to disri, Aeriel rose The pearl upon her brow burned heatless white In its depths, the Ancient’s sorceries moved, unreachable: incomprehensible to her even if she could have found and read theht numbly How am I to defeat the Witch and convert her to her mother’s cause? The sword at her sideThe only other sound in the roo A hand slipped into Aeriel’s So down, she saw Maruha

"Coh woman said softly "Come, Sorceress--Lady Aeriel We must be off We should not stay"

Aeriel stood upon the red desert sands The s inward over the City, now left behind The airlock had proved a series of hatched doorways, which the duaroughs opened readily by coht, Aeriel felt a whisper of comprehension steal eerily over her: some aftereffect of Ravenna’s sorcery, perhaps