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Bolstered, I approach the blinding display.

But something is wrong. I squint at the light. It does not flow and ripple in rays and ribbons. It does not sparkle or shift. Not a breath of warmth exudes from it. The light, which should be clear and life-giving, has a green tint. It feels like death.

Then disappears entirely.

“So nice of you to come, Amyrah.”

The voice slides over my skin like oil. I grab a nearby sapling for support as my uncle steps out of the shadows. A curving horn hangs at his side, and he holds something in his hands—a small bundle wrapped in leather.

My legs wobble beneath me as I gasp for air. He watches me carefully. “Oh, did you like my little ruse?” A quick movement of the hand, and the leather shroud flips off, revealing a whole handful of fresh sola brossa. “No sola, but they do the trick in a pinch. Especially when one’s mind is predisposed to look for a certainluminescentphenomenon.”

“Why would ...” I swallow and determine to stand on my own two feet. “Why would you do such a thing?”

He wraps up the bones carefully again and stoops to set them at the base of a tree. “How else could I get you on your own? I knew after I threatened your father, it would be difficult to get you away from his overreaching protection.”

His sharp eyes cut deeper than any blade. My heart jumps into my throat.

“But won’t others be coming?” I ask, the words barely audible.

“Oh, no. My men have been given orders to keep the valefolk busy in the city square. Some trouble-making youth stole the horn for a joke, you see.” His eyes twinkle maliciously.

The adrenaline that sped me here dries up, and I feel tired. So, so tired. My shoulders slump forward, and I struggle to stand.

“I assume you’ve already been made aware of what my particular skill set includes.” An ugly smirk pulls at his features. He raises his hands and makes the shadows dance in twirling pillars above each. With another gesture, the ténesomni rearranges itself into a swirling dome that rushes around me, obscuring him from view.

At once, my stupor leaves. I stand straighter, settling into a sturdy stance. Feet shoulder width apart, hands balled firmly by my sides.No, I think, opening my hands and staring daggers into the blackness. A pulse of energy rushes through me, blasting the shadows far, far away. I blink in surprise.

“Impressive. Very impressive,” Myrzeth says, releasing the shadows and approaching me with slow steps.

I stare down at my hands, shaking with exhilaration.

“If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say you didn’t know you could do that.”

My lips push together in a tight line. I will not satisfy him with an answer.

He laughs and shakes his head, circling around me. “You are more like your mother than I thought. She would never degrade herself to banter with me, either.”

I resist the urge to spin around and keep him within my range of vision.

“And I bet you couldn’t have been more different from her,” I say.

“Ah, well, there you are both right and wrong.” He comes around to my other side, stopping when he looks me in the eyes once again.

“It is true that in the end we could not have been more opposed. She was always so annoyingly good. Of course, to a person like that, the only one answer is to blindly accept the light. It’s your only option, really, if you refuse to budge on your convictions.”

“Some would say honor can only be found within conviction.”

He nods his chin. “True, niece. And those of a more antiquated mindset will cling to that ideal even as the last remnants of life drain out of them.”

I close my eyes and suck in a sharp breath. How can he so callously make reference to how my mother—his own sister—died?

“But those with the willingness to imagine other possibilities soon find that narrow, moralistic view ... limiting.” His hand clamps around my wrist with an iron-like grip. I open my eyes with a gasp. His fingers are so cold.

“Your mother, Amyrah, was one of those narrow-minded fools. While she was off being enamored by a deity she could not see, I explored a more tangible source of power.”

Bile builds in the back of my throat. I yank my arm out of his grasp, and he lets out a peal of amused laughter.? “We could have been allies, your mother and me. Right from the beginning, we were special. We could call and banish the darkness at will, as all the Luvesti are able.”

I blink several times as I try to digest what he’s saying. “The Lu ... Luvesti?”