Or can I? The rot is a sickness of the soul. If I can supposedly shepherd souls back to the living, maybe I could heal one.

“I want to try something.” I kneel in front of her. My gown gathers around me in golden layers.

She doesn’t react when I take her hands in mine. Unfortunately, I haven’t the faintest idea what I’m doing. I can’t even summon my craft yet. But if there’s the slightest chance I can heal her, I have to try.

I close my eyes and recall that searing heat at the moment my craft awakened—but I twitch my head, discarding the memory as the pain of that night floods my senses. I can’t yet bring myself to examine the details of Saengo’s death, a moment dipped in bronze, immortalized in my thoughts.

Instead, I return to the Dead Wood, when the trees closed around us and I thought our deaths imminent. I squeeze my eyes tighter, searching for that spark of magic and the memory of those twinkling orbs. Everything goes silent, as if even the flames crackling in the fireplace are waiting for …

Nothing. Nothing happens.

I dampen my dry lips. Saengo’s despair swells through me. Flecks of heat dance beneath my skin, but I can’t hold on to them. All I can feel is the inevitability of failure, again and again and again.

With a hiss, I release her hands and lurch to my feet. Covering my face, I resume pacing. An apology lodges in my throat.

“It was worth a try.” Saengo draws a deep breath that seems to straighten her spine, despite the weight of it all trying to pull her back down. “What else can we do?”

Her words give me strength. Neither of us are giving up. I turn to face her, my gown sweeping around me. “Like I said yesterday, we have to tear it out by its roots. We stop the infection at its source.”

Her lips twist to one side. “What does that mean? You’re going to destroy the entire Dead Wood?”

My hands fist around the spidersilk. “Yes. It’s infecting you. As long as it exists, you’re at risk.”

Her gaze slides away from mine. She’s skeptical, and I don’t blame her. It’s an outrageous declaration. Fear, guilt, self-doubt—all these things eat at my resolve. But I push them away.

“I’ll learn how to free the souls in the Dead Wood. Once that’s done and you’re healed, we’ll get a pardon from the queen. Then you’ll be able to do whatever you want. You can go back to the Company or travel the kingdom or go home and be with your family. I’ll make sure to come see you every few weeks to renew our bond. Other than that, you can live your life however you choose.”