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He staggered free and raised his hands toward the god to draft a yellow spike through Atirat’s brain He threw all the vast power of his will--into nothing

He stared down at his hands No luxin What the hell?

No yellow

The green shot up his legs and imprisoned him in a moment Only then did Gavin see his mistake Atirat had drafted a bubble all the way around the top of the tower A thin, green, translucent bubble A lens that blocked out every color Gavin could use

But no lens was perfect, and Gavin wasn’t about to give up and die He drew in sub-red, but that only rew back as fast as he could burn it Drafting through that lens was like breathing through a reed that was too long, too thin

Gavin was too weak

"How does it feel, Gavin Guile? To be ht, and yet helpless?"

Gavin Guile Not that it nize him Felia Guile had tried to murder a man who actually wasn’t a threat--and because she had failed, he now actually was a threat

Gavin’s wry sht you died," Gavin said He’d seen Kip back there Maybe the boy couldhappen if Gavin kept Atirat’s attention

"I very nearly did There was a small conclave of us Drafters who survived the war but were so dah fro to die on your coht The burned, the scarred, the aht cannot be chained, Gavin Guile"

"How did you--" Gavin started to ask Kip was creeping on his hands and knees directly behind the throne that had blossomed for Atirat

"There is only one question, Gavin Guile," Atirat said "Do you want to be killed by the woman, or the boy?"

Kip froze "Father," he said "I can’t ritted and there were tears in her eyes as she fought the green luxin that suffused her body "I can’t--I can’t…"

"I canthe shotthem all, you idiot!" Buskin shouted

Hezik said, "We can’t save theod!"

Cootten caht, see me now, hear my cry In the hour of my darkness, I approach your throne" The commander watched himself say the words as if he were a bystander He’d not prayed the prayer of supplication since he was thirteen years old His chest felt hollow He could see hisout her life in front of hiht, see--" A sudden thought interrupted his prayer

"One slot up, two slots right," he told Hezik

"Sir, I’ve got it right--"

"Now!" he shouted

Three clicks, instantly, as Hezik moved the cannon to the slots co linstock and lit the fuse himself

The roar filled the battery, and Ironfist swore every man counted the seconds

"I wish you could knohat it’s like, Gavin," the god said "I can feel every living, growing thing in the world And , second by second"

Atirat sounded drunk, but regardless, Kip couldn’t htened at his command, but his bones themselves were locked in place He’d almost made it He’d al, but Kip couldn’t hear it He saw Atirat tense, warned by some sixth sense He turned, and Kip saw the blast of smoke from the cannon from the fort on Ruic Head