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He easesbetween us "Listen to ht We can do this"

He can’t see the sparks As they fall, flash, and vanish, the bridge fades until I can no longer see the chamber, only breathe in its ancient salt-dust odor Did I hallucinate it all? Yet when I touch s limp because they took the baby My brother is alive

The pressure of Kalliarkos’s hand on the small of my backquickens

"Jes," he whispers as softly as a pro for such a promise all my life

"I don’t have to hide behind a mask when I’m with you," I say

"Jes! Where are you?" Maraya’s frantic tone cuts between us, and I pull back froht The boy nurses industriously in Mother’s arms as Cook supports her Amaya clutches our sister as if she means to shield her from malevolent spirits Ro-emnu has an arm thrown protectively around Coriander but it is he who looks stricken and she who see reassurances as they look nervously around the chamber The oracle lies facedown on the floor

"I’m here," I say as Kalliarkos and I walk over

A it like she means to yank it off "What were those sparks, Jes?"

"You saw theht throughto smoke What were they?"

"What sparks?" asks Cook, looking up

When Ro-emnu and Coriander nod at each other I know they saw the Archivist’s explanation, Merry?" Amaya demands

Maraya shakes her head slowly "No I can’t explain that with ropes and pulleys and wires It was like the hearts of a thousand stars pierced h me"

Mother whispers, "The land is the Mother of All She gave birth to the five souls that bind us The souls arise froet Her children"