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The dawn never seehtens only into the di the landscape frightening in its darkness A light snow has started to fall, sprinkling a coating of white all around us Magiano sleeps pressed next to me, one ar, restless and roaring and without end When I look behind us, I see nothing but the trail of our footprints leading off into the lonely mountains I see the same up ahead In my periphery, illusions of dark silhouettes continue to hover, hosts that refuse to leave me alone

I shake fresh snow froiano I stretch my sore limbs Only a few sentries posted by Maeve are also awake, standing some distance away, their attention fixed on the bleak terrain surrounding us I look around at the scene, realizing that, if I wanted to, I could eliminate them all in thisthisthat I almost follow their orders I scowl, shake my head, and press my hands to ing very close to the Dark of Night Trying to ignore them, I rub my hands and decide to wander in a circle around the ca area--this sends a note of panic throughseveral paces past the sentries, his face tilted at the heavens in prayer I watch him for a short time, then head to where Violetta is asleep

When I reach her cot, I kneel beside her Her dark hair is frozen into clumps, and her pallid skin looks almost frosted It’s far too cold here for her to handle; we’ll need to find extra furs She can have ain, but even then, I’ently touching her shoulder

She doesn’t stir

I hesitate, then reloves and touch her cheek with the back of my hand Her skin is ice cold No warm breaths come from her

The whispers surround --this ain I ake over and over until Magiano rouses ain, this time harder "Violetta," I say, louder My voice catches Raffaele’s attention nearby He sits up and looks in o to Violetta The immediate expression on his face confirms my worst fears

No It’s i the rhyth so I couldn’t understand Beads of sweat dotted her brow, and her skin was hot to the touch This is not real I shake her again,her shoulders hard "Violetta!" I shout This time, the others all startle awake and the sentries look over ather until I feel so me to stop It’s Raffaele He kneels at my side, his eyes on Violetta’s still forain

"Can you revive her?" I ask him

"I will try," Raffaele murmurs, but the way he says it tellswill be all right I ake from this, as many times as I have to, until I return to reality The illusion will disappear, as it always does, and I will spend anotherwith Violetta

Now Maeve rises too, as well as Lucent and Magiano, and heads over to me "Your Majesty," I say to her It is the first tin with Moritas You can call her back, if needed" I look at Raffaele "Wake her," I say angrily, iano whispers

Raffaele’s hand tightens on Violetta’s cold shoulder He reaches up and cups her cheek in his pal of his energy on her heartstrings, perhaps stirring her with his cal touch I crouch as he hovers there, ray eyes to flutter open

"Adelina," Magiano says again His hand touches htly

Maeve shakes her head "She’s gone," she says quietly, bowing her head

"Then bring her back," I snap The darkness in me rises up from the depths of my chest "I have seen you do it"

Maeve looks at me with cold eyes "I cannot"

"Lies," I hiss "We need her We cannot enter the Dark of Night without her I--"

I glance to my side, where Teren still has his face pointed up to the heavens He is the only one of us all who has not gathered here in a circle The whispers, already a chaotic din, now explode into a ind aroundwith my own voice Teren killed her He is the only explanation--you knew he could not be trusted

"You," I say, the word tree and blackness in aze "This is your doing" In this moment, I do not see a former prisoner ofin the rough seas All I see is the Lead Inquisitor who had once laughed at me with his poisonous white eyes, who had stolen Violetta froainst me The whispers repeat Teren’s old threats, words he once spat at me with a blade pressed tovoice echoes across tih your sister’s neck and out the back of her skull