Rain fell harder, soaking his tattered clothing and causing a chill. He shivered, but the constant movement kept him warm. That, and fear. Fear of what would happen now that Mallian was free, had taken control of Grace, and would undoubtedly pursue his agenda of Ascent. Fear also of the Fold. He had survived this place for two years, but he realised now just how dangerous it was, perhaps more so because Grace was no longer here to maintain balance.

“It was here,” he said when they reached the place. His voice was deadened by the rain, but Angela and Sammi were close enough to hear. He looked around, sweeping his foot back and forth through the long grass, and the hopelessness of what they were doing hit home. The relics were small, the largest barely the size of his fist, and even if they did find them, there was no telling whether simply disrupting their arrangement would do anything at all. He had no clue how the glamour worked. Maybe Sammi did, but probably not.

“Not quite here,” Sammi said. “A bit further over there. Over by that pile of rocks. That’s where he did it.”

“How do you know?” Angela asked.

Sammi shrugged.

Vince hurried to the rocks to see if she was right.

As he and Angela paced back and forth, Sammi knelt and pulled aside an overhanging bush. Beneath it, hidden in the shadows, were the relics.

“Fourteen of them,” she said. “Thirteen old and sad and filled with regrets. One fresh and still screaming in pain.”

“You see what he’s done?” Vince asked. He stood behind Sammi, looking over the kneeling girl’s shoulder at the strange display. Mallian had placed them here to keep them out of sight, which hinted that there must be some danger in him leaving them alone. Would it be as easy as just kicking them asunder?

Angela stepped forward to do just that.

“No!” Sammi said. “It’s dangerous. I don’t understand how or why, and it’ll take time, but I do know if we mess them up now, something dreadful will happen.”

“How do you know?” Angela asked. “What will happen?”

“Something to Grace,” Sammi said. “This pattern of relics has... it contains... some of her soul. She’s been pulled in two by Mallian.” Her voice was growing deeper and flatter, and Vince noticed she was sinking down onto her haunches, as if settling in for a long time.

“So what do we do?” Angela asked. Sammi didn’t reply. She looked at Vince, raised an eyebrow, and he indicated that they should move back a couple of steps.

“I think Sammi’s in charge here,” he said. “Let’s give her a moment, see what she has to say.”

“We don’t know how many moments we have left,” she said, and perhaps some of the moisture on her face was tears.