Page 68 (1/2)

In thatrealization dawned Tink had taken the ring, and she’d taken the de to die in his stead, siive him a few days, maybe a feeeks, without the demon

"No!" Kane screamed "No! Don’t you dare!"

But it was too late

Malcol The fire pierced her chest, and her scream of pain shattered every corridor of his heart

"No!" he cried "No!"

The sword slid out of her and Kane saw a gap the size of his fist

Tink collapsed And Malcolm vanished

Kane dropped to his knees and roared up at the sky

IN A DAZE, when the shock of what he’d witnessed had worn off, but not the horror, never the horror, Kane crawled to his wife, gathered her in his arainst his chest He held her for what seemed an eternity, but it couldn’t have been more than an hour

There was no blood on her or hiht He should be covered in her blood, should have tangible evidence of the pain she had endured He should have to wear it, a constant reminder of the disaster he had allowed--even without the derief His failure Soness Yes That’s all he had now

His wife, his love, was gone For nothing! Didn’t she know he could not have peace without her?

Tearsat the back of his eyes because they suddenly spouted out, like rivers of anguish He sobbed like a baby, and he didn’t care who saw him Guards and Opulens came up to him and tried to talk to him, to learn what had happened, but he snarled and sent the away

"How could you do this?" he demanded of Tink But he already knew the answer, didn’t he She’d loved his life h the softness of her hair--her blond hair? Yes Blond Even her features had changed She looked like Petra, and he had aPetra had died and not his wife But then her hair and features changed again, and he found hinize

When she changed a third tie remained for an hour, then another, realization hit him and all hope withered This was Tink, the blonde in the painting, and she was dead

She had drained the Phoenix, acquiring the girl’s ability to shift identities, that was all Because, now that the shifting had stopped, whatever spark had tried to ignite had been extinguished

His Tink was dead, and she wasn’t ever co back

He howled up at the sky

He had his freedoh

He wanted to lash out, to kill so, but he couldn’t bear to release his Tink So he sat there, even as the sun disappeared behind clouds and rain poured He sat there as day turned to night

Malcolm appeared a few feet away, his skin pallid, his lips corowl rose in Kane’s throat

"I know I’ht now, but I must tell you what I’ve learned Iwent to my leader, told him what I’d done He has assured irl wished"

Well, what do you know? Kane could release his wife, after all He stood, his hands fisted "I ht survive, but you won’t"

The Sent One raised his chin "Hear me out, warrior"

"How could you kill her? You are forbidden fro human life, and she was half hu her that way"

"That doesn’t change your rules"

"No, nor does it changeto be punished either way"

Willkill

But the warrior wasn’t finished "I rong when I told you that you would be emptied out Your cup wasn’t spilled over Water was poured inside, slowly displacing the oil Now, you’re filled with the waterwith love I’msorry for your wife’s death"

"Doesn’t hed "You don’t want to fight ht I want tofor Malcolm’s neck, but he vanished, and the weapon soared past hi in a tree Then, he reappeared

Kane threw the other dagger, and the Sent One performed the same move

He advanced They’d settle this with their hands, then