Page 164 of Quicksilver

I found the note underneath the clothes he'd left for me.

This may seem dramatic now, but it'll make sense in time, Saeris.

Go through the gate. It'll take you back to Cahlish.

Wait there with the others. I'll send Layne back as soon as I can. Tell Iseabail to sedate her the second she comes through the gate. She'll be close to transitioning. There won't be much time. She'll want to go back through the gate before I close it, so you'll have to be ready for that. You have to stop her. This will all be for nothing if she jumps back through.

Tell Lorreth to live his life. Tell him not to worry about me. I have endless patience and no interest in having martyrs for friends.

Tell Renfis that I'm sorry. That he was the standard that I always held myself to, and Yveliawould have been a better place if I was half as good as him.

And you, Osha. I release you from your oath. You know how to make the relics now. A selfish part of me wants to beg you to make as many as you can so that my friends and their families can escape Yvelia before this realm falls. But I understand if you need to go. Find Hayden and Elroy. Help your friends. Then go exploring. There are countless realms out there, waiting to be found. Make one of them yours.

I've never been one to trust in the gods, but I choose to believe that all things come from the same place when life begins. I have hope that they return to the same place when it ends.

I'll be waiting for you there, Saeris Fane.

F

I sank to my knees and sobbed. The last time I'd cried like this, my mother had been blowing away on the reckoning wind. I'd vowed I'd never care about anyone enough to experience this kind of pain again. But here I was, shattering.

I well and truly broke when I saw what rested on the mantlepiece above the fire.

Nimerelle.

The tarnished black sword sat amidst melted puddles of wax and the jars full of paintbrushes, sunlight flaring in a starburst at its tip. He hadn't taken it with him.

I knew why. If Malcolm killed Fisher and laid his hand on a god sword, there was a chance he might find a way to convince it to channel. If that happened, there were no limits to the destruction he might wreak.Andhe could still the quicksilver. There would be no escape for me or for any of Fisher's friends.

So Kingfisher had gone to Gillethrye to save Everlayne and everyone else he cared about.

And he had gone there alone and unarmed.

Carrion squawked, fumbling the book in his hands. He came dangerously close to falling off his chair as I stormed through the shadow gate and into Fisher's bedroom.

“Gods a-fucking-live!” He gasped, clutching his chest. “A littlewarning?”

“Where is everyone?” I demanded.

“I don't know. In the library? Everyone's going cross-eyed, trying to find a way to make sure they break this enthrallment thing. What are you doing with Fisher's sword?”

I tossed Nimerelle onto the bed, along with the old shirt I'd found to wrap the grip so I could pick it up. “Never mind the sword. Why aren't you with everybody else?” I snapped.

The back-alley thief shrugged shamelessly. “I came looking for Onyx. I couldn't find him anywhere, so I guessed he was sleeping in here. Crazy bedroom. Have you seen the artwork?” He gestured to the slashed paintings that still hung on the walls,their canvases torn to ribbons. He carried on, not giving me room to speak. “I was going to leave, butthenI figured maybe Fisher kept a diary. And guess what? He doesn’t. But hedoeshave something even better.”

I crossed the room. “What time is it?”

“Wait. Don’t you want to know what I’m reading?”

“Let me guess. It’s a book of prophecies, and there are a ton of drawings of me in it with pointed ears.”

Carrion’s disappointment stole his grin. “How did you know?”

“Carrion, I can’t do this right now. Whattimeis it?”

“Nearly two, I s’pose. We had lunch a while ago. I wasn't expecting anyone to step through that thing untilmuchlater. Ren said Fisher left a note for him, saying you'd be back before dusk.”

“Oh, yeah,” I fumed. “Fisher justlovesleaving notes.”