“So what was your life like back in Shanalona?” Amara asked, finally curious about the young man who seemed insistent on walking with her.

He shrugged. “Nothing special. I’m the fourth of six children. My father is the curator for one of the libraries, so I grew up always reading. We didn’t have much, but we always had enough. I knew once I turned of age that I wanted to make a pilgrimage to the Temple of Splendor, so I did what I could, picking up jobs here and there until I had enough, then I started walking about a month ago.”

“Just to see the Temple of Splendor?”

Breven smiled, which made her heart do a weird flip. “I started following the Light two winters ago. And I want to work in the libraries like my father someday, maybe even handling the history of the Old Ways. But before I begin that part of my life, I wanted to see the Temple of Splendor for myself, the place where the Light first revealed himself.”

“I . . . see.” She had no idea of the history behind the Temple of Splendor.

He turned and looked at her. “How about you?”

She froze. “Well . . . I . . . I wanted to get away. My family life . . . it’s not so good. I hope to make a new start in Lux Casta.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but in many ways, it was the truth.

He nodded slowly. “Many start this journey running away from something. I hope in the end you find something to run toward instead.”

He flashed her that bright smile again, and for the first time, Amara found herself blushing. Dart’an! She needed to guard herself before she found herself falling for his sweet personality and this Light he followed.

A few days later, Amara finished up her breakfast and washed out her bowl the best she could before returning it to Hari, the eldest pilgrim and the one who made them breakfast every morning.

“Thank you for the food,” she said as she handed him the bowl. After so long on the road, she was getting used to this role of a pilgrim. In a way, it allowed her to pretend to be someone else.

Do I want to be someone else?

“My pleasure.” His smile made the wrinkles across his face crease even deeper. Then he returned to putting out the fire beneath the black pot.

Amara brought her mind back. “How long before we reach Lux Casta?”

“We’re almost there. The weather is nice, so I’d say we should arrive by noon.”

So close. Only hours away. And then she would no longer be a pilgrim but a dreamkiller on a mission. Her first step in becoming grand lady of House Ravenwood.

Amara turned away and pulled her cloak close to her body. So why did she suddenly feel so torn?

The sun reached its peak as the small group crested the last hill and the city of Lux Casta came into full view. Behind and to the right of the city, blue water stretched out to the horizon, and to the left were the rolling hills of Serine. White birds flew over the orange-tiled homes. The few people she could see beyond the walls were no bigger than a finger from this high up.