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Shadi could not believe her eyes, she simply could not. Whether this alienation was a positive omen or not, she could only accept it. The Black Amphitheater was the most dazzling and otherworldly building she had ever seen.

She felt as if she were walking in a dream of iron and glass, surrounded by plays of mirrored and iridescent light, as warm as the thousand flames that created it, divided into an infinity of dancing rainbows on translucent surfaces.

The twinges in her chest and ribs reminded her to breathe; if she held her breath any longer, she might pass out in a decidedly unladylike manner.

She walked to the second level, flanked by her father on the right and her mother on the left.

They were beautiful. He in his dark red livery, the high-collared jacket decorated with silver buttons and patterns, the long ceremonial staff at his belt. She in a cloud of fabric and lace, held up by white gold embroidery on bright red.

Shadi sighed. She didn't have a tenth of Tiona's confidence or the apparent calm that seemed to surround her father. Would she ever have felt comfortable in a place like this? The reflection in the large mirror nearby suggested otherwise.

She slowed her pace, paying more attention to her own appearance. Her mother's seamstresses had done a good job. The dress was not too voluminous, otherwise it would swallow her delicate features, and it did not leave too much skin exposed, except for the neckline at her shoulders.

Shadi had managed to persuade Tiona to style her hair so that it seemed to fall freely on her shoulders. She loved the way the fabric knotted from below her breasts to the base of her neck in a series of interwoven bands of silver and bronze threads. She loved the way the lace overlapped and wrapped around her arms. And to be honest, the corset that framed the sartorial marvel was not all that uncomfortable. It took little time to get used to the slight restrictions it imposed, but she doubted she could wear it for more than a few hours without going crazy.

In any case, all the extraordinary skill of the tailors could not give her a better expression, nor could the makeup completely hide the dark shadows under her eyes.

She tried not to focus too much on that gloomy face, the face of a girl who could have slept for a decade without even getting out of bed to perform basic bodily functions, and let her eyes wander over the mirror. For yes, there was something strange about that reflecting surface. It trembled slightly, and the image it returned seemed to be shrouded in a peculiar hue.

Her parents finally noticed that they had almost lost sight of their daughter, stopped and caught up with her.

Shadi read the expression on Tiona's face. She looked ready to pinch her to stop her musings, but Leoben prevented her from continuing with new complaints. "I wish I had one. I've been trying to acquire an Eye of the Ether for years," he explained.

Ah. So it was not a mirror.

"Like all Sacred Artifacts, the Ether Eyes are rare and precious objects. It is difficult to see one outside of government palaces or the private residences of the Masters, such as this one," he continued. "To host one would be a great privilege. It would bring us unimaginable benefits." Her father swept his eyes over the thick silver frame surrounding the Eye. "If we had one in our fortress, things would be very different now," he said with a note of pain in his voice.

Shadi could only guess what he meant. She knew that the Eyes could somehow communicate with each other and connect those who possessed them. But she had never seen one at work and wondered what immense power animated them. Darjin had mentioned it, too, before she succumbed to exhaustion while telling of her visit to Narden of the Eyes.

The Eyes can do much more than reflect distant images. The Sacred Artifacts of the gods read hearts. They recognize the worthy, they condemn the blasphemous. Remember these words and use them when all seems lost.

To Shadi it had seemed like a silly riddle. Darjin's expression, however, had made her think about it for a long time.

"Perhaps I could borrow one from our Lord Zayr," Leoben added in a light tone that clashed with the deep lines on his forehead. He hugged the upper circles with his gaze, and Shadi followed his eyes. Indeed, there was an additional Eye of the Ether on each of the planes. All of them reflected the inside of the amphitheater with the same flicker.

Shadi was struck by a revelation as simple as it was powerful. Until that moment, she had felt small and inadequate whenever she had heard about the Masters. She had thought that in time this alienation would fade, that experience might enable her to understand.

She was wrong.

Even her parents, despite their best efforts to project confidence and calm, still harbored similar feelings. She saw it in her father's eyes and felt it in her mother's movements. They didn't understand either. Not really. They feared the Masters because they were overwhelmed by their extraordinary deeds. They feared the power of the gods and clung to ignorance.

It was a certainty so macabre and dark that it left her with a bitter taste in her mouth and a flurry of questions that she was now certain would remain unanswered.

How many different kinds of Artifacts were there? She had seen the Shield Band the Tamer had given Darjin, and now she stood before an Eye of the Ether. She knew of Lord Zayr's gigantic vessel, the Lethenium Dart, and the way it flew through the sky as if it were lighter than air. How far did the extraordinary arts of the Masters go? Where did the power they imbued into these objects come from?

She promised herself that she would ask these questions of the only person who seemed to have direct experience with some of them.

Darjin.

Shadi would wait for her to regain her strength and then join the end of the line of people seeking her attention. A wave of fear surged through her heart at the thought of the investigation her dearest friend would face.

Squinting, she tried not to sigh as she imagined horrible scenarios in which some politician decided to blame Darjin for the deaths of the young women.

Someone behind her cleared his voice.

Shadi was transfixed by the reflection in the Eye. Two figures were standing behind her and her parents. She barely registered the woman's presence before the man's face hit her like a slap. His fiery red hair, his pale eyes, and the freckles on his cheekbones captured her attention.

And that jaw. By the gods, it looked like it had been sculpted with a chisel. She could have used it to cut wood.

Shadi realized that she had stared too long. Her neck almost hurt from having to lift her head so high; he was much taller than she was.

The man spoke and she shook herself out of her stupor.

"Lugalen Jan Hura, it is a pleasure to meet you again," the man said. He bowed his head, and Leoben did the same.

"Ensin Thawill. The pleasure is all mine."

"I am glad to see that your wife and daughter are in good health. In light of recent events, I was afraid I could not take your presence here tonight for granted."

Leoben nodded. "Such consideration pleases us. Allow me to introduce my wife Tiona and my daughter Shadi."

The Ensin took Tiona's hand, held it gently between his own, and brought it to his forehead with a short bow. He repeated the gesture with Shadi, who had to clench her teeth to keep from shivering at the warmth of his skin.

She reminded herself not to be silly, to stand up straight, and not to embarrass them all.

By now she was so used to her mother's reproaches and recommendations that she could hear them in her head even when the woman was silent.

The Ensin introduced them to another Ensin. Her name was Nalia Korr, and she was the most fiercely attractive creature Shadi had ever seen. She looked as if the sun itself had woven her skin in shades of bronze and black ink.

Shadi felt Ensin Korr's eyes pass through her and sensed that the woman was silently assessing each of her family members. There was something amused and threatening in the way she arched her eyebrows.

At one point, Shadi was shaken by the avalanche of perceptions this new encounter had thrown at her. She became aware that her father was talking about her. "You can ask me anything you want. My family and yours are bound by an ancient trust," he replied to the Ensin.

But what was the request?

"That same trust led me to send my Dagger to you for help. You were my first thought when I realized that my family's safety was in jeopardy," he continued. Then he placed a hand on Shadi's back.

And he pushed her towards the Ensin.

Shadi barely held back a gasp.

That was the request.

"May I steal a moment of your time, my lady?" Andik asked, opening his lips in a quiet, respectful smile.

The girl nodded and took his hand. She had a tired but curious look in her eyes. Heavy shadows under her eyes contrasted with her very pale skin. The frame of dark, wavy hair that fell over her shoulders lightened the strained expression.

The daughter of Lugalen certainly did not stand out for her natural beauty. Her figure was ordinary, her features regular. She was a far cry from the algid beauty of her mother. Andik easily recognized Leoben's intelligent and perceptive gaze in the girl. But her eyes lacked the disillusionment of the Lugalen. Life still seemed to sweep over her, overwhelming her with its wonders and sorrows.

How long had Andik stopped marveling at his surroundings? Sure, the Black Amphitheater was a rare gem and had taken his breath away. But Shadi Jan Hura crossed the fine line between freshness and new maturity. And she wore the marks of that journey on her tired face.

Andik took the girl's hand in the crook of his elbow and invited her to walk with him. "I'll bring her back soon," he assured her parents. They nodded approvingly, especially the mother, who, despite her best efforts to remain aloof, beamed at him as if she had just won a prize.

Nalia lingered with the Lugalen and his wife, quickly grabbing a glass of wine from the tray of a nearby servant. She winked smugly at Andik. If the Jan Hura had withheld important details of this ugly story, Nalia would make them come out, one way or another.

Shadi remained silent, following him meekly. On other occasions, he might have toyed with her discomfort, asking ambiguous questions to test her, to see if her memories of the abduction were really so vague and inconclusive. She was one of only two witnesses to those events, and he could have resorted to trickery to extract the truth. But something told him that such an approach wouldn't be appropriate. The young Jan Hura looked confused and intimidated, unlike the many ambitious ladies eager to appear.

So Andik was pragmatic. "How are you, my lady?" he asked her as they walked near the translucent parapet that overlooked the first circle, the one where the actual meeting with King Zayr would take place.

The girl seemed to be searching for the right words, taking her time before deciding to answer. "I suppose I am quite well, despite everything. Thank you for your interest, Ensin Thawill."

"I am glad to hear that. Your presence here tonight must be exhausting, but I admire your strength of spirit."

The girl hesitated. Andik had the impression she was suppressing a nervous laugh. "Do I amuse you, my lady?" He paused, placed a hand on the railing and turned back to her. At his question, she paled even more, if that was possible.

"Oh no, Ensin Thawill, not at all. Forgive me. There is nothing beyond deep kindness and sensitivity in your words. I am simply tired. Please pay no attention to the shortness of my manners."

Andik bit the inside of his mouth. His words had been harsh, more than he really wanted. "No, you forgive me. I snorted obviousness and forced you to be respectful despite everything. I can only guess how heavy the burden is on your shoulders. I promise you that I will try to lighten the tone of this conversation as much as possible."

Those words struck a chord deep within the girl, resonating with her sensitivity. Andik sensed it in the shine of her eyes and the tone of her voice. "Thank you, Ensin."

"Just call me Andik, please."

She nodded. "Then you will not judge me prematurely if I ask you to grant me the same trust?"

"It would be an honor, Shadi."

"Thank you, Andik," she smiled. And relief lit up her face.

For a few moments they did nothing but smile.

Then a sense of duty took over, and the reality of the questions that plagued Andik's mind became pressing again. "I heard that your memory is raging against you," he finally asked her.

Shadi looked disappointed but resigned as the question came. As if only one part of her had expected it and the other had hoped for something else.

"Yes, it does. I recall being forcibly taken from my family's convoy. I vividly remember the sounds and sensations. They hooded me and pushed me into a cell carved out of rock. It was pitch black. I think I lost track of time, because when Darjin came to rescue me, I was completely disoriented."

"Your Dagger was very brave," he indulged her. He knew he had chosen the right path. Shadi was different from many of the young women he had to extort information from. She seemed to enjoy their conversation, and the veil of uneasiness that had enveloped her quickly faded.

He was almost saddened by this. After all, she was just a naive girl. He had no way of knowing what was really going on in her mind. Maybe she would soon regret being so open.

"Yes, you are right. She showed unwavering faith and extraordinary strength. And saved me again."

Again. It was an interesting explanation. Andik needed to take this into account.

"What do you remember of the men who attacked you?"

She thought about the question. "They had their faces covered, all of them. There must have been a blow to the side of my head at some point, because my memory is in a state of disarray. I woke up just before Darjin broke into the Watchtower. I remember her, I remember the room where she found me and not much else but the darkness of the cell where they locked me up together... together..."

Andik felt the abyss of pain that prevented her from finishing the sentence.

The death of all those girls weighed on Shadi's conscience. She felt responsible.

Andik ran to her side. "Please wait." He took a few steps to an attendant who was serving wine to the guests, took two cups and handed one to Shadi. She accepted without much conviction. "Don't tell me this is your first sip," he nudged her.

The young woman blushed, "Of course not. I'm not a child," she whispered, looking at him over the edge of the glass and taking a sip of wine.

Andik returned to lean against the parapet. With a gesture of his chin, he pointed to all the Lugalen families on the level, so few compared to the grandeur of the Amphitheater.

"Do you see them, Shadi?"

She came to his side, but remained silent.

"These men and women cannot believe their eyes. These Lugalens and their wives are walking on clouds. Because they are here, against all odds. Only six families, Shadi, only six daughters survived the tragedy. Did you know that?"

Shadi shook her head.

"Some of your peers jumped from moving carriages and plunged into raging rivers. Others pretended to be dead, and still others fought even better than the guards who were supposed to protect them. They survived, just like you. You are little miracles, all of you."

The girl put her hand to her mouth. Moved by his words.

"Believe me, I know what it is to witness such bloody events. I know what it is to look death in the eye. And I know how easy it is to take on guilt that is not ours. Our Lord Zayr wanted you here for this very reason. To celebrate your life. It is right, you must accept it and leave behind remorse and regret. You owe it to yourself, you owe it to your family. Leave the tears and sorrow to the Lugalens who have been robbed of their daughters." He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Will you do it, Shadi?"

She cleared her throat, coughing, and wiped the corner of one eye. "I will, Andik."

He smiled with a closed mouth.

"What color were their robes?"

Shadi furrowed her brow. She realized to whom he was referring, and her eyes drifted away from him and the Amphitheater, lost in memories.

"Dark. Maybe black."

"Are you sure? What if they were a color that looked black to you because of the low light?"

She widened her eyes. "Gray. Their robes were a very dark gray."

"Like ashes," he added. He felt a foothold in those words, a flash of light that would point him in the right direction.

Before she could ask more questions, something changed. The Black Amphitheater fell silent as a strong wind ruffled the guests' clothing. Andik instinctively lifted his eyes and knew, even without seeing him, that he had arrived. King Zayr.