“But what do we do with them?” Likh demanded. “Are you going to let Tea use her own heart?”

“If I volunteered,” I asked, thinking, “what can I do to keep my brother alive?”

“Tea!” Kalen exclaimed.

“The First Harvest kills those who do not bear the shadowglass,” Lord Agnarr said, “not even the Great Heroes were exempted from that tragedy, and all save Rashnu the Just perished. Including Vernasha herself. But to one that possesses the light and the dark, the First Harvest is like mother’s milk. Distill the juices of the First Harvest into a familiar’s heart, to take back what death had decreed.”

“That is, word for word, the same line in a book I once took from a Faceless woman,” I said.

“Words are shapeshifters. They take different forms to suit different motivations. The word for blue can be sifted and changed until it spells red. We share similar teachings with the Faceless, but what they take and learn from those teachings are different from the messages we treasure. It is why words are important, and it is why they can be dangerous.”

“Do you know then where the First Harvest is located? Is it at the Ring of Worship?”

The man nodded approvingly. “We believe so. But no asha, Dark or otherwise, has ever seen it and returned alive. Only Rashnu the Just survived, and only because he was wise enough to touch nothing.”

“So the only way is to acquire shadowglass?”

“A test is required, to prove one’s worthiness.”

“Why is this necessary?” Khalad asked.

“The road to treachery and malice has always been cobbled with the intentions of those who thought to only do what was best.”

I put my hand over my heartsglass instinctively.

“There is no shame in a black heart, Lady Tea.” Agnarr’s fingers caressed the air. Something shimmered on his chest: a heartsglass of impenetrable black.

Likh gasped.

“There are many myths regarding black heartsglass. It is not a sign of corruption, as many kingdoms would believe. It is a sign of strength and power, the ability to harness your talents beyond the average runebinder’s. Very few can manifest the black, though it is more common among Dark asha and Faceless. The Dark runes are the strongest of the magics, after all.” He drew another rune, and the outlines of a strange, ever-branching tree shimmered into view.

“What is that?” Likh asked, entranced.

“The rune to summon shadowglass. You can create it before the First Harvest as many times as you desire, but without shadowglass, it will refuse your call each time. To acquire shadowglass, you must first abide by our test. To you, seeking Hollow Knife’s path: present yourself to the mountain for judgment.”

Silently, I cursed Aenah for being right. “What is this mountain that I must pass?” I felt Kalen’s hand on my arm, but I persisted. “What is it that I need to do?”