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his backside with a grunt. “Nothing can come of it, Halek. He’s an iylvahn and I’m... just a thief. Sooner or later, he’s

going to realize that.”

“Sparrow.” With a series of small grunts and huffs, Halek clawed himself upright on the log again. “You don’t think he already

knows what you are?”

“I don’t know!” Frustrated, I scrubbed a hand down my face. “I don’t know, Halek,” I said in a softer voice. “Everyone keeps

telling me that I’m the Fateless, that I’m special, though they won’t tell me how or why. I don’t feel special. I don’t feel

like I’m any of these things that they say.”

I didn’t know why I was telling this to Halek. Maybe because he had always felt safe and unassuming. Maybe because he always

did just what he wanted, and Fate seemed to favor him even as he was trying his best to catch it.

“I’m not brave,” I went on in a whisper. “I’m not a warrior. And I feel like Raithe expects me to do... something. Something

big, involving the Deathless King. But I’m not that person. I’m a thief from Kovass. How can I be anything more?”

“Because you choose to be,” Halek said simply.

I glanced at him, and he gave me a strange half smile.

“Destiny is a funny thing,” he said. “I know in Kovass, they believe that your fate—what you’re supposed to be—is set in stone.

A beggar can’t become a merchant, a merchant can’t become a king, and so on. But what if you could?”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

“What if a beggar can become a king?” Halek said, as if he wasn’t casually blaspheming an entire belief system. “What’s stopping him? Fate?” He

shrugged. “That doesn’t seem to apply now. Your story hasn’t been written. You can change the destiny of everyone around you.

Thief, warrior, hero, queen. You’re the Fateless, Sparrow. Be whatever you want.”

Whatever I want . It sounded so easy, though it went against everything I had been taught. To become something else. Could I really be more

than just a thief?

The bigger question: Did I want to be more than just a thief?

It was strange under Kysa’s tent. The shimmery green cloth or membrane or whatever it was looked thin and fragile but was

surprisingly strong. It rustled when you brushed it aside, and though it seemed transparent, it repelled the sunlight quite

well. We left Rhyne and the sand dragons tied up under the trees at the water’s edge, and Rhyne immediately buried himself

halfway in the mud, looking even more like a shiny black boulder. As Namaia rose over the horizon to join her sister, the

four of us huddled under the rustling green tent to wait out Demon Hour.

As expected, it was warm in the tent when both twins stood directly overhead, but thankfully not unbearable.

I sat against the side, being careful not to lean into it too much, and listened to Halek valiantly trying to coax Kysa into a game of Triple Fang, which the insect rider adamantly refused.

Raithe sat across from me, an amused smile on his face as he watched the pair.

I yawned. The heat and the low murmur of voices were making me drowsy. Dropping my head to my chest, I relaxed and let my

eyes flutter shut, listening to the voices of my friends.

“Oh, Sparrow. I’m almost disappointed.”

Opening my eyes, I jerked my head up to find I was somewhere else.

I was back in the cistern, on the stone platform where I’d first seen the Circle. Where, so long ago, it seemed, Vahn had

cut open Jeran’s throat and released the Deathless King into the world. The altar was gone; in its place around me was a circle

of painted red runes surrounded by candles and various items. Looking closer, I saw with horror that all the items had been

mine, once; the knickknacks and small treasures I had collected during my years with the guild. All taken from my room and

brought here. The runes they sat on glimmered wetly in the flickering candlelight; I had a horrible suspicion of what had

been used to paint them.

Vahn stood just outside the circle of runes, shaking his head as he looked at me.

“You would think you would learn,” he said. “Once you’re asleep, your mind is vulnerable, and your dreams are open. I just

need an instant to establish a connection. One moment of unconsciousness to bring you here. Demon Hour is so inconvenient,

is it not?” He smiled at me without humor. “Nothing to do but rest, wait, and sleep until it’s over.”

I backed away from him but hit an invisible wall at the edge of the circle, preventing me from going any farther. “What is this?” I whispered.

“Quite impressive, don’t you think?” Vahn stepped around the circle to face me. “I have scoured countless forbidden tomes—dozens

of lost, half-burned books from the old kingdom—to figure out this spell. It would have been easier if I had your blood, but

you did leave all your possessions behind when you fled the city. It was enough to bring you here.”

“Vahn.” I clenched my fists, searching in vain for a way out. The air between us shimmered, indicating the barrier surrounding

the circle. “What do you want from me?” I asked in weary desperation. “Why these mind games? You were never this sadistic

when we were in Kovass.”

“I want an answer from you.” Vahn narrowed his eyes. “I told you to return to Kovass, and yet you are still going in the wrong

direction. This is your final chance to make the right decision, Sparrow. The king grows impatient. Are you going to return

to Kovass, or are you going to make me drag you home myself?”

Anger flared. “I’m not going back, Vahn,” I spat at him, and his eyes grew even colder. “I couldn’t, even if I wanted to.

Raithe wouldn’t let me go, and besides, I stopped listening to you the second you decided to kill Jeran.”

“Jeran.” The Guildmaster of Kovass shook his head.

“That boy was just the beginning. I regret that I had to sacrifice a member of the guild, but I would do it again to bring the king back. And now it seems you have found yourself a new guild, hm? A new little family to cling to.” Vahn crossed his arms, his gaze suddenly hard.

“The kahjai won’t let you go, you say. Well, what if there was no kahjai to hide behind?

What if you were alone once more? How quickly would you return home then? ”

A chill spread through my body. “Leave them alone, Vahn,” I growled. “They have nothing to do with this. Besides, you can’t

hope to stand against Raithe. He’d cut you down in a heartbeat as soon as he saw you.”

“Yes,” Vahn agreed, which did nothing to ease my alarm. “He would cut me down. But what about you? The Fateless whom he is duty-bound to protect? How far would he go to keep her safe?”

“What are you talking about?”

The circle of runes around me flared, bathing the chamber in red light. Vahn closed his eyes, raising his arms as the light

snapped and flashed, throwing eerie shadows over the walls and floor. “I will be taking this consciousness for a little while,”

he murmured, making my stomach crawl with dread. “You stay there, and don’t try to stop it. It will be less painful that way.”

“What?” I whispered, but my eyes opened, and I was suddenly awake.

I was back in the tent, still hearing the murmur of Halek’s and Kysa’s voices a few steps away. It seemed only a second or

two had passed since I had dozed off. Quickly, I tried to raise my head to warn Raithe and the others that Vahn was still

there, still after me.

I couldn’t move.

I told you, Sparrow . Vahn’s voice echoed in my head, turning my blood to ice. I will be taking over for a bit. Don’t try to fight this—it’s better to accept what is coming.

No! I tried to make myself move, to shout a warning, anything. My body remained still, uncompliant. Vahn sighed.

It’s useless to resist , he said, and my eyes closed, plunging me into darkness. But this will be over soon, and then you will have no choice but to come home.

My hand moved on its own, sliding down to my waist. I didn’t know what was happening until I felt my fingers curl around the

hilt of the dagger at my belt.

Oh no. Vahn, stop it. Please, don’t do this.

This is for your own good, Sparrow . My eyes opened, though my head remained down, my face hidden by my hood. I lifted my gaze just enough to see Raithe, sitting

a few paces across from me with his arms crossed. His attention was drawn to the discussion between Halek and Kysa, as Halek

had given up on Triple Fang and was now trying to explain a card game to the completely disinterested insect rider. My fingers

tightened on the dagger, and I felt myself tense to lunge.

No. Vahn, stop. Please not him. Don’t do this. Raithe , look at me. Raithe !

“Raithe!”

My voice left my mouth in a strangled shout, and Raithe’s attention jerked to me, just as I sprang at him and drove the dagger

toward his heart.

He grabbed my wrist, stopping the blade from plunging into his chest, but the momentum drove us both through the wall of the tent and outside.

Instantly, I felt the blazing heat of Demon Hour sear through my clothes.

Raithe hit the ground on his back, his fingers still locked around my wrist. I straddled him, baring my teeth in a vicious smile as I tried to shove the blade toward his throat.

“Sparrow!” Raithe’s other arm shot out and braced against my chest, keeping me from leaning my full weight onto the knife.

His pale eyes, alarmed and beseeching, locked with mine. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry, kahjai,” I heard my voice say through gritted teeth. My other hand gripped my own wrist, pushing down and adding its

weight to the blade angled toward Raithe’s neck. “But you have to die. You are in the way, and the king has plans for the

Fateless.”

Instant understanding dawned in Raithe’s eyes before they hardened. Faster than thought, the hand not gripping my wrist shot

up, grabbed my elbow, and yanked sideways as his body twisted with the motion, flinging me off him. I hit the ground hard,