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"How dare they strike here!" Katerine continued, crossing the room Soldiers ducked out of her way, and several less-influential sisters who had gathered at Saerin’s order suddenly found things to do at the corners of the room Distant booms sounded, like the noises of an Illuminator’s display

"They dare because they have thedown her annoyance andher calm With difficulty "So far, the strike has proven re corowled "We need to scour the Tower and eliminate each of them!"

"You will not take command," Saerin said firo on the offensive"

"And you will dare stop ht around her "A Brown?"

Saerin raised an eyebrow "Since when did the Mistress of Novices outrank a Sitter in the Hall, Katerine?"

"Egwene al’Vere predicted this," Saerin said, gris she told us about the Seanchan are true The Seanchan seize woht no ground force; it would be near ih hostile territory anyway That means this is a raid, intended to seize as many sisters as possible

"The battle has already stretched long for a raid, perhaps because we’ve done such a poor job of resisting that they feel they can take their tiround Once the battle goes hly for them, they ithdraw We are in no position whatsoever to ’scour the Tower’ and force the that Another boo froh holes?"

"That wasn’t directed at the Tower, Saerin Sedai!" called one of the soldiers at the rooarden

He’s right, Saerin realized The Tower didn’t shake It didn’t the ti on? People down below?"

"No, Aes Sedai!" the guard said "I think it was a blast thrown from within the Tower, launched fro creatures"

"Well, at least so back," Saerin said "Where was it launched fro the skies "Light, there it goes again! And again!" Red and yellow reflected froht barely visible through the door and s Raken screa froroup of wounded soldiers Saerin hadn’t seen theht up with Katerine "These men are down from the upper levels It appears that there’s a second rallying point for the defense, and it’s doing very well The Seanchan are breaking off their attack below to focus there"

"Where?" Saerin asked eagerly "Specifically?"

"The twenty-second, Aes Sedai Northeastern quarter"

"What?" Katerine asked "The Brown Ajah sections?"

No That hat had been there before Noith the swapping of the Tower’s corridors, that area of the Toas"The novices’ quarters?" Saerin said That seemed even more ridiculous "How in the world" She trailed off, eyes widening slightly "Egwene"

Each faceless Seanchan that Egwene struck down seewene stood at an open hole in the side of the White Toind pulling at her white dress, tugging at her hair, howling as if in accoer was not out of control It was cold and distilled The Toas burning She had Foretold this, she had Dreamed it, but the reality was far worse than she had feared If Elaida had prepared for the event, the daing for what had not been

Instead, she directed her anger--the anger of justice, the wrath of the Amyrlin She blasted to’raken after to’raken from the air They were much less maneuverable than their smaller cousins She must have felled a dozen by now, and her actions had drawn the attention of those outside The attack beloas breaking off, the entire raid focusing on Egwene The novices fought Seanchan raiding parties on the stairs, forcing the around the Tower, trying to take Egith shields or blasts of fire Sh the air, crossbow bolts at her

But she was a fount of Power, drawn froh a group of novices and Accepted hiding in the rooas part of the fires that burned in the Tower, bloodying the sky with their fla the air with their s of flesh, but one of pure Power, sending judg war to the Tower itself Blasts of lightning stor above Fire sprouted fro the Three Oaths But she did not This was a fight that needed to be fought, and she did not lust for death--though, perhaps, her rage against the sul’dam approached it The soldiers and damane were unfortunate casualties

The White Tower, the sacred dwelling of the Aes Sedai, was under attack They were all in danger, a danger greater than death Those silvery collars were far worse Egwene defended herself and each woman in the Tower

She would make the Seanchan withdraw

Shield after shield came to sever her fro to ste flow of a waterfall With this much power, she could not be stopped save by a full circle, and the Seanchan didn’t use circles; the a’dam prevented it

The attackers prepared weaves to strike her down, but each ti the balls of fire with a blast of air or si down the to’raken who carried the wo to kill her

Sowene had felled the ones she could, but there had been so many to’raken in this raid Some would escape Sisters would be captured

She for another beast from the sky as it swooped too close Yes, sooal She had to ain

This raid had to cost the with a grunt, breastplate digging into his sides and belly as he hit cobblestones Socrash followed He caround where he had been standing, its rider--already dead fro free like a rag doll The raken corpse, still s, slumped to a rest beside the Toall The rider lay where he had fallen, the hel away into the darkness One of the corpse’s