He shook his head. ‘I walked through a memory-dream of the city, but for all I know she might have simply recreated her old dream. All I know is that she can’t wake.’

I considered this, then I said, ‘The city exists and I am travelling there now, so I think we can assume that Miryum really is there. What can you tell me about the city and her captors?’

‘I saw only what Miryum believes she saw,’ Straaka reiterated. ‘I can show you, but I have not given you the whole of the oldOnes’ message. The oldOnes wanted me to tell you that when the new Elder of the Agyllians has taken them into himself, he will come to you with what you will need to complete your quest.’

‘He?’ I said, startled. I had always assumed the new Elder would be a female. Then the rest of his words penetrated. Atthis’s successor would bring what I needed to complete my quest. Did they mean Cassandra’s key or something else? Before I could ask, the mountain and the ledge and the grey sky wavered in a way that made me feel dizzy and nauseous.

‘The spirit-dream is weakening,’ Straaka warned. He fixed me with his dark eyes. ‘Find Miryum, Elspeth Seeker. Wake her, not only for her sake and mine, but because the oldOnes say she too has a part to play in your quest, ere the end.’

‘Miryum does?’

The ledge wavered and disappeared and I felt myself fading and melting. I summoned my image, and let the weight of the sword draw me rapidly down. To my horror, the moment I saw the dreamtrails I felt the unmistakable mindless malice of the Destroyer forming around me. This time I reacted instantly, coercing myself awake so strongly that I slammed back into my flesh with violent force. I immediately rolled to one side and vomited.

‘Elspeth!’ Analivia cried in alarm, and I opened my eyes to find her kneeling beside me. The sun was high overhead, shining through a gap in dark clouds. I squinted, confused, for surely the sun had already set? Analivia lifted her hand to push a strand of hair back from my face, and I was startled to see a pulse of green light at her fingertips, but when I blinked there was nothing.

‘Healing hands,’ I said, but it came out as a garbled mutter. My mouth felt sore and swollen and I had a terrible headache.

‘Don’t try to talk,’ Analivia advised. ‘Rest.’

‘The wolves,’ I tried to say, but she shook her head and held a finger to her lips as if bidding me keep a secret. Then sleep opened its maw and swallowed me. This time, there were no dreams.