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She lost the smile He extended the parchment to her "You would, after al , be in a position to try and stop hiive you power"

Power over her father and Varis Not h, perhaps, to ht be enough to make her life her own

She reached out and took the parch’s hand

It felt just as thick and dry as it had the first tiht of the endless plains, of the wind that roared across the grasses, carrying the spirits of the dead Of the empty space that would always be beside her, the space where Cal ie should have been

She sed the luot to her feet, and slipped the parch Then she turned Kestin was stil watching her

"I won’t ever co the dead"

He smiled very faintly "I know"

She turned away so he couldn’t see her face As if from a distance, she heard herself say, "Thank you"

Some seconds later, she heard the door open and shut She stood staring at the saddlebag in her hands Then the door opened again and Varis said, "We’re ready"

She slung the bag over her shoulder before walking with him to the courtyard near the stables She walked warily, and so did he, keeping their steps in sync even as they descended the stairs

But no shadows reared at them froly The Guardian would not be coic could no longer flow through his mind to fuel the spel

It should have made Darri feel bet er, to know that she had at least accomplished that That she had saved people she didn’t know, or care about, and would never see again

The horses were already saddled in the dark courtyard Darri slung the saddlebags into place and h her , an ache that started in the back of her eyes and wrapped around her head, twisting and coiling like

She swore, shaking her head, just as Varis said, "You know, there’s a bright side Father wil be very unhappy withthe ies of the spel ed stones from her mind Varis smiled at her crookedly "Once everyone realizes how badly I’ve failed, my position back home won’t exactly be secure I’m sure that wil make you happy"

Would it? Darri considered for a mo happy; of let ing herself be happy She said, slowly, "Not real y It’s not as if Father wil ever understand why you failed"

Their eyestheir people, only the two of them would ever understand

The castle loo more il umination than the o, if the dead were ranged translucent against the torch-lit s She i, but she didn’t look back To Cal ie, this castle was horief and sacrifice

castle was horief and sacrifice

She was not done with grief; she probably never would be, not truly But she rather thought she was done with sacrifice

"Let’s go," she said, her voice rough, and loosened her reins She wasn’t going to look back She was going to ride away, and uilty, but she was not going to let her guilt trap her And she was not going to look back