She opened her mouth, but it was the magus with the sun staff who spoke first. ‘The Oracle is waiting for you inside,’ he said, nodding at the cave.

Frowning, Chloe entered the shadowy interior and walked down the winding passage, biting her lip as she remembered the last time she’d come this way and received a prophecy in three parts. Everything the Oracle said had come true, no matter how hard she’d tried to fight it.

Following the passage, still carrying her staff, she finally saw light ahead, and after another bend she arrived at the cavern with the pale fire in the center.

The white flames were low, barely a few inches high. The Oracle sat with her back to Chloe, facing the flickering spears of light. The woman wore a black shawl and her head was lowered, her straight, perfectly white hair falling like a curtain to obscure her face.

‘Welcome, Chloe.’ Her voice was old and rasping.

‘Why didn’t you see the raiders coming?’

‘One of them had eldran blood. Am I not correct?’

Chloe remembered the slim man with the gray-streaked hair and pale eyes.

‘They interfere with my ability to see the future. For this reason, although I know that your fate is tied to that of the king of Xanthos, I cannot say for certain what the future will bring. I have had a vision that you will have an opportunity to destroy our ancient enemy and end a great threat. This is why we made a special effort to bring you here.’

Chloe circled the fire and crouched in front of the Oracle, with the low fire between them, trying to see her eyes. But the woman’s head remained bowed.

‘What ancient enemy?’

‘The descendants of Aleuthea have returned. If unchallenged, they will gain the power of artifacts better left at the bottom of the sea,’ she said in a low voice, barely loud enough for Chloe to hear her. ‘Tell me, Chloe. Have you had any visions?’

‘Visions? No, I have not.’ Chloe felt a surge of anger. ‘I’m nothing like you. When can I leave this place?’ She straightened and reached forward, over the fire, to grip the Oracle’s chin and tilt her head up.

The hair parted and Chloe was staring into a grinning skull without flesh.

Chloe recoiled, crying out in horror. Tumbling to the ground, she fell into the flames. The fire surged, suddenly as tall as the roof of the cavern. For an instant there was nothing but white in her vision.