d grew heavy in her palm, as tho

ar that?" s

is shoulders and the way his head turned toward the cracked glass,

he took one step back, then another, until her spine

Isolde said. "Glass make

e came out steadier than she felt. "It sai

s parted. No

ered into dust that drifted to the floor. He cr

stone?" he asked quietly. "Dr

ole tower shaking. You grabbed my wrist as if you knew what would happen. You look at me as though I am a locked door and you

ed behind his guard. It was not

he said. "My father had it cut and set into a wall of the Undervault. It was sup

e opened it,

fted to hers. "Som

reath hitc

re controlled. "You have spent twenty-three years keeping your daughter ignorant

r. "Is that true? You knew th

ust above the high lace collar Elara had n

eak. I did not know it would speak to you." She swallowed. "Elara, please.

for

o find th

whole life to f

t Elara regretted her tone at once. But she did

e, branching like frost across a windowpane. Light seeped out along the crack. It

breath. "Do not hol

hy

t is looki

wled up Elara's spine, and she understood he was not joking. Beneath

t reach her through her ears. It travelled up her

have come back

caught the edge of the table, th

r it," Isolde

lara said. "It

ough the thin silk of her sleeve, and when she looked up, his expression had changed again. There was no p

where near the Heartfl

ot plann

he had. He let go. "Then listen to me, Princess. Whatever this is, it has been asleep beneath

front of two hundred people, Your Majesty. You ordered my father loc

I did not say you we

never say what you feel. O

turned to the window, where the frost had vanished

by dawn," he said. "So will every

Elara said, "who else kn

nswer. Isolde

ped spreading, but a new mark had appeared on the black surface, faint an

stone began to glow again, slowly,

Its tone was deep and buried, as though it rang from beneath the mountain itself. Each strike