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Back The Alcazar Save as PDF
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Map
  4. Part One
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. Part Two
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. Part Three
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. Part Four
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. Part Five
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. Part Six
  41. 32
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. Acknowledgments
  48. About the Author
  49. Books by Amy Ewing
  50. Back Ad
  51. About the Publisher

She threw her head back and laughed though she did not know why, only that it felt good, it felt right—hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she thought of Sera, racing with her along the banks of the Estuary or watching her climb the temple spire or chasing each other through the moonflower fields. Sera filled her mind and her heart, Sera expanded inside her, Sera Sera Sera . . . and when Leela looked at the pond again, the water had become thick and pliable, like newly crafted sunglass, and a shape was emerging from it, a shape that she knew, oh so very well.

When Sera’s slender frame had finished forming out of the water, the pond rippled and she became more than sunglass. She became Sera, the Sera Leela had known and loved, the Sera she had shared her heart with and would share it with until the end of her days.

Leela let out a wild cry, like a trapped animal finally freed.

“Sera?” The name was no more than a fragile whisper on her lips, though she had meant to shout it.

Sera blinked and said, “Leela?”

Through her tears, Leela smiled a smile so wide and full, she thought she might split in two.

“It’s me,” Leela said, and the triumph rang through her louder than the bells of the temple. “It’s me, Sera. I found you.”

Part Three

Ithilia, the Island of Cairan, Pelago

13

Sera

SERA DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO SAY OR WHERE TO BEGIN.

She couldn’t believe her eyes. Leela was here, talking to her. Real, true, perfect, sweet Leela. Sera’s heart swelled up so big she feared she would choke on it.

She hadn’t understood what was happening when the moonstone had flamed in her hand, like a miniature sunflare, a heat stronger than anything she had ever felt—one second, she and Leo were in Rahel’s golden room of desserts and the next she was being pulled upward, flying so fast her vision blurred. She’d emerged through a pool of clear water, except it wasn’t water—it was something in her magic that was shifting and shimmering, making her form mutable. The moonstone felt heavy around her neck, almost like an anchor keeping her from dissolving. She had an awareness of being in the pool and also of being on the ship below in Pelago. She was a vision here, albeit a solid one. She could not move her feet or turn her head or run to Leela and throw her arms around her. She existed only within this pool.