Chapter 33 What Survived The Fire

• The stone melts.
• Astrid watches it happen in real time—the Moon Guild glyphs warping, silver lines blurring like wax held too close to flame. Varek jerks back with a cry, the slab clattering to the floor, half-liquefied, hissing.
• Across the chamber, Xena drops. First to her knees. Then forward, face hitting stone with a dull sound that makes Astrid’s stomach lurch. Blood spills from Xena’s nose in a thin, vivid line.