Kalen planted himself in front of me, and Althy stalked toward the other asha. “What evidence do you have?” she demanded.

“The evidence of Dark magic. Witnesses report a girl transforming into some foul creature—one much like a daeva, which only a bone witch is capable of. Mykaela has been cleared of the crime, leaving only one other bone witch.”

There was some movement among the Deathseekers. I looked past them and saw, much to my shock, my family in attendance. My mother and sisters were weeping, and Daisy was pale. My brothers stood silently beside my father, though they cast frequent glares at the elders.

It was the first time Councilor Ludvig broke a promise to me; our good-bye at Istera was the last I would ever see him.

“Yes,” Councilor Ludvig admitted. “I never saw her after that. Hindsight is quite the bastard, isn’t it? I should have accompanied her back to Kion. I did good by Rendor and his father for decades. Could have done good by her…” His voice trailed off, and he coughed. “What good is half a century of experience when I’ve got nothing to show for it but an old man’s regret?”

The Valerian survived the fires that had engulfed many parts of Kion, a miracle given the ruination of the Willows. Cha-khana stood smoldering, stripped down to their foundations, and other asha-ka fared no better. Their noted botanical gardens lay in ruins, centuries of landscaping and meticulous tending eradicated in the space of minutes. In between the dawn and the dead, very little remained. The destruction here was worse than the rest of Ankyo.

Now it served as a base of operations for its surviving leaders. Mistress Parmina granted Councilor Ludvig temporary rule of her asha-ka while she was away, and until she crossed the Swiftsea with the rest of the Kion army, the Isteran made the most of his duties, overseeing both the repairs for other asha-ka who were not as lucky and negotiating safe havens and supplies for the rest of the newly homeless.

A quick word passed between Khalad and Kalen, but the Heartforger did not follow us into the Valerian. His face was drawn, an invisible weight pressing down on his shoulders that made him bend, an old man despite being in his prime. But he walked with a steady, inexorable pace, quickened by some intangible motivation. He strode past the Valerian asha-ka toward some destination I could not fathom. I paused, unsure if I should follow, but Lord Fox made the decision for me.

“Leave him be.” He sounded harsher than usual. “It’s been a while since he’s set foot in the Willows, and there’s someone waiting for him. This is not the time nor the place for an audience.”

“Is it family, milord? Or the old Heartforger?”