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Vaelin sa Frentis paled and shifted at his side, see wo He stared at his brother until he turned,he reave a barely perceptible nod and turned away froroan fro to pull herself closer to him

“I have an introduction of uardseless Gifted?” the queen asked, casting a critical eye over the Ally’s bound foraze with a distracted nod and looked up at the surrounding tiers, eyes narrowed in careful calculation

“Not exactly,” Vaelin said “I don’t know his true na him the Ally”

“I never liked that name,” the Ally commented in a faint tone “Perhaps, in the years to co od”

Vaelin opened his mouth to command him to silence, and froze He tried to raise his sword arm and found it immobile He attee All sensation had fled his limbs, the only movement in his chest which continued to draw breath, and his eyes which flicked about with panicked speed He could see the queen, standing frozen with the same frown of critical scrutiny, Lord Iltis close behind her, still like a statue, as was every other living soul in sight, even those in the terraces above The arena was silent now, save for the Easps and the sound of the Ally’s soft steps on the sand as heinto his eyes

“You asked about ift,” he said “Here it is, or one of them So many years since I wielded it in this world without need of a proxy Not so taxing now, thanks to you and your ageless friend See?” He angled his head,it from side to side “No blood This body will sustain me for quite some tih I’ve no desire to see that”

Heto peer closely at Lyrna then Reva, just visible in the edges of Vaelin’s vision, as still as everyone else “So well- on Reva “Pity to spoil her, but this one will require a reward if she’s to continue asto the Eh herThe Ally went to his knees beside her, leaning back to press the ropes around his torso to the steel claws protruding frori hiave away

“Ahh,” the Ally breathed, standing upright and tossing Alturk’s ropes aside “That’s better” He flexed his arms for a briefhis lips at the s in satisfaction

“I have often been called arrogant,” he said, looking up at Vaelin “And I’ll ad failure But, so iven me a new appreciation for humility I did fail, of course, and Lionen tortured me to death for it But it was the ht hter of every Gifted in the world by myself, even with the ability to twist sufficiently reat a task But I had plenty of time to ponder a new approach”

He bent to the sand and retrieved a fallen short sword before placing a foot under the E her onto her back “Why strive for the ireed of humanity can do it for me? It was to be the Volarians’ role, once moulded to suit my purpose It never occurred to theh, no aveto more of their nobility so they would always need more, compelled to expand, an eifted blood, driven by their hunger for eternal life All co, I suppose Still, no matter”

He raised the sword above his head and turned to the terraces, calling out in a strident voice, “Take heed of this! The old gods are risen in !”

He moved closer to the Empress and pressed the blade of the sword to the flesh of his arm, the cut short but deep He lowered the wound to the E the blood trickle onto her lips At first she barely reacted, lips betraying only the slightest twitch, but soon herthe blood to flow into her throat as her back arched The Allythe sword aside and tearing a rag from his shirt to bind the wound

“Since you took ritted around the rag as he pulled it tight, “illat Lyrna’s side onceabout in her perfect face with frantic alarm “She will be the Saviour Queen, come from across the ocean to deliver the Volarian people frorinned at Vaelin—“her great and noble general Think of the arether, the lands you will conquer And in every land you seize you will seek out the Gifted”