Culin’s voice was distant. But he looked up at the [Knight] and then at Cara and pointed. North and west.

“Sasi. The [Necromancer] has her.”

“Milord—”

The boy turned to Cara as if he had to explain.

“I saw Sasi walking. She looked so tired. I have to let her sleep. I am Lord of Afiele, now.”

Dalimont opened his mouth. Culin gazed up at him and the [Knight] fell silent. He stood, slowly.

“Come with me, Lord Afiele. Your people need you. Miss Cara, we must ride. There may be more dead coming from the Tomb or leftover.”

He helped Culin onto his horse’s saddle. Only when Dalimont was mounted did he look over.

“Miss Cara?”

She stood there. Silent as a statue. The [Thronebearer] rode over towards her. He studied her face.

There was nothing in Cara’s head. Dalimont spoke softly, glancing around.

“Miss…Cara O’Sullivan, isn’t it? Will you come with us?”

She didn’t reply. How could she? She focused on Culin and saw—he was staring the way he had pointed.

Cara remembered the giant.

“He’ll kill her. The Duchess. You saw that army.”

“Perhaps. But that man will die. I swear it by Calanfer’s Throne.”

Dalimont replied softly. The [Singer] gazed up at him.

“Who can fight that? Monsters. Who can…?”

The [Knight] looked down at her and saw Cara’s blank expression. He shook his head slightly and gripped the reins with his good hand.

“I will let the [Princess] know you are here. Make for the border of Noelictus. Ailendamus…can defend itself better than Noelictus. Lord Culin, hold tight.”

He rode past Cara. Down the hill of the keep, through the broken gates. Cara watched him go. Faded gold and the boy. Culin glanced back at her once.

There was nothing like enmity in his eyes. No blame. He should have blamed her for everything. But he just turned ahead again.

Cara stood in the empty keep. She walked into the town. And then out of it. Stumbling past the ranks of bodies that the defenders had brought down. The smell. The sight of it, the horror—she was numb to it all.

It was too much to process. So Cara just walked away. She had to…

To do what? Run away? No, never. But there was nothing she could do. She had done nothing.

She was ashamed.

——

Cara didn’t know how long she walked. She felt nothing at first, and then cold. She began shaking after a while. Whatever spell had struck her had left her heart fluttering, parts of her body failing.

That didn’t matter. The [Singer] just thought.

A song. An act. She should have sung. She should have died there. She should have…known how wrong she was about them.

Violetta and Idelt’s little village was untouched. No—Cara saw signs of movement around the village.