Page 40 of Dark Bringer (Lord of Everfell #1)

After a few pages, she realized that the women were cyphers who had consorted with angels and born a draconic child, and the book was about what happened to them afterwards when they were sent into exile.

Afterwards.

Cathrynne re-read the passage several times, thoroughly shocked. She had been taught the offspring killed their own mothers. That cyphers never survived the birth. Clearly, she had been lied to.

It made her wonder what other lies she had been told, and whether this village still existed. The time period was over a century ago. But it meant that there were cyphers who had done the worst thing they could possibly do—and lived to tell about it.

Her stomach churned as she thought of the babies. Were they murdered? Or had the infants been spared? She flipped through the pages, trying to find out, but the slender volume didn’t say?—

“My father and uncle were killed by the Sinn,” Markus said.

Cathrynne’s head jerked up. She’d been so engrossed in reading, she hadn’t heard the door open.

“It was a blue emperor.” He came closer—but not too close. Markus Viktorovich wasn’t stupid. “They were in the high desert surveying a new mine. I was seven and in school at the time. My mother survived, though she suffered extensive burns.”

Cathrynne closed the book and casually placed it on the stack. “Well, I’m sorry about that.”

“Thank you.” He studied her, expressionless. “I need you to understand that I don’t hate cyphers. Not like some of us do.”

He was talking about the White Foxes.

“How reassuring,” she said dryly. “Why don’t you let me go then? I have rights, too.”

Markus ignored this. “Many of you come from ancient, respected families. I believe your intentions are good. You are taught to protect the interests of the empire. To enforce its laws. Just as it is my task to preserve the bloodlines from angelic contamination.”

“I know what you do,” she said. “Spare me the lecture.”

He smiled. “Of course. But I’m sure you agree that we cannot allow any more Sinn to be born. They have the ability to reproduce as a species. Left unchecked, I don’t doubt that they will overrun the world.”

His words hit a nerve. “What’s your point?” she snapped.

“It is a fact that the Sinn are growing immune to lithomancy. I believe this might be an evolutionary defense mechanism.” He reached into his pocket and held up a chunk of kaldurite. “This is one of the specimens Durian Padulski sold to the jeweler on my payroll.”

“D’Amato,” Cathrynne muttered, her eyes never leaving the stone. It was the first gem she had seen in over two weeks. It wasn’t hot with ley, of course. But it was just what she needed to pierce the illusion, the shields, and get out of here.

“There are precious few samples to study,” Markus continued. “We must find the source, determine how it is forged?—”

Markus cut off as she leapt up from the bed. She was inches from tearing the kaldurite from his grasp when a blast of projective ley came through the open door. It was like being kicked in the chest by a mule. Ash smirked from the doorway as she flew backwards.

Markus gave her a disappointed look. “I hoped you might listen to reason, Cathrynne. Think about where your loyalties lie.”

She made a rude gesture. “Give me the stone and we’ll test your theory. I’ll shove it right up your?—”

The door closed. The bar came down.

* * *

Twice a day, her brooding was interrupted by Ash and Kane. The routine never varied: a knock, followed by a curt order to stand against the windows. They never turned their backs, never stepped fully into the room. Kane watched while Ash set down a new tray and collected the old one.

When she asked them what had happened to Mercy, they ignored her.

But something happened on the tenth day. As Ash was bending down, Cathrynne had a vision of her standing on the Corniche in Kota Gelangi. A projective spell erupted from her palm. It struck a young man with sandy hair. His body flew over a stone wall and plunged into the river below.

Cathrynne only caught a flash of his face, but she recognized him. Durian Padulski, the boy whose house they had visited in Pota Pras. His body had been displayed, and although it had the disfiguring signs of someone too long in the water, she recognized the birthmark on his cheek.

Ash was the witch who had killed him.

The vision faded, but another followed as her gaze shifted to the male witch, Kane.

This time she saw him standing in the hills, facing a young woman with springy dark hair and a lean, determined face.

She held a pistol with both hands. Cathrynne heard the crack of the shot.

He stumbled, blood blooming across his white coat like a crimson flower.

Kal Machena had shot him! Too bad the bastard wasn’t dead.

The pair of White Foxes left, oblivious to her visions. The bar thudded down behind them.

Cathrynne sat still, the food forgotten. She always saw symbols—not actual events. Something was changing. She must be shifting into the later stage of foretelling. The one where you lost control.

Where you lost your mind.

Yet she felt a grim satisfaction. Kal Machena had fought back. And they didn’t know where she was if they were reduced to interrogating Cathrynne.

Run , she thought. Just keep running and don’t ever stop .