Nomi's nightmare . . . He had seen her fears, and they were terrible. He should have felt happy.

He stood, shivering and wet, listening for movement or voices. But he heard nothing, and when he looked around he could no longer see the glow of Nomi's campfire. There were no stars, and the rain was heavy again, blinding him. He had no idea how much time had passed.

Lulah could be back at the horses by now. He had to hurry.

But she came to him. As he struggled across the sodden ground, lightning cracked and thunder split the darkness, and shadows manifested before him. He drew his knife but quickly made out the shapes of two horses, one of them ridden by the slight but impressive figure of the Serian.

“Are you well?” she asked.

Ramus nodded, and it felt as though a ball of fire seethed behind his eyes.

“Mount up,” Lulah said. “Lean forward and rest if you must. I'll lead your horse.”

“Is it done?” he asked. His voice came from very far away.

Someone was helping him then, and every heartbeat was disjointed. He was suddenly astride his horse, and Lulah rode ahead, his mount's reins tied to her saddle. Is it done? he tried to ask again, but even his voice had failed him.

Nomi must think I wish her dead, he thought. And as pain and exhaustion dragged him down to a deeper, darker sleep where even nightmares would never reach, he could not feel pleased.

Part Two

PART TWO

The Stone
Man

Curse—Widow's Warning—Ascent

“Voyaging great distances—through forests, from island to island, across plains and into the mountains—is all about finding ourselves.”

Sordon Perlenni, the First Voyager

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

NOMI SAW SHADOS moving into the camp, and she knew that they were Ramin and Rhiana, yet still the fear had settled in her and refused to let go.

“Well?” Beko asked. He had remained close to Nomi from the moment the first strange cry rose up in the night.

“We found a small fire, nothing else,” Ramin said. “Whatever was making those sounds spread out and disappeared into the landscape. First it came from one place, and then many.”

“I've never heard anything like that before,” Rhiana said.

Beko stood quietly for a beat, listening to the darkness with a frown on his face.

“Some Steppe marauders use animal calls to communicate,” Rhiana said. “Birds, frogs, lizards.”

“Didn't sound like animals to me,” Ramin said. “Sounded like someone having their nuts squeezed.”

“Charming.” Rhiana came closer to the fire, squatting to warm her hands.

“If it was marauders, we'd have seen some sign,” Ramin said. “I've dealt with them before. I know what to look for.”

“Different clans have different methods,” Beko said.

Ramin shrugged. “I'm telling you, there was no one out there. Maybe it was something that fell with the rain.”

Beko turned to Nomi and included her in the conversation for the first time. “Nomi?”