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curling around and inside each other like ribbons made of air. It reminded him of his Bestowing, just
before Snake appeared, when
His heart stopped. It couldn t be.
 Can you see it yet?
He turned to answer Sura, who was tying a loose pair of trousers at her waist. Only two words came
out.
 She s here.
 Who?
He couldn t speak the name, could only take Sura s hand and lead her out of the bedroom, through the
front door and out to the street. Others were gathering in the hamlet s central square, their clothes torn
and covered in soot. He saw Rhia and Marek and Elora, but only spared them a glance as another
extraordinary sight caught his eye.
A large scorched black circle lay in the dust where they had kissed. He pulled Sura to stand at the edge
to await their people s salvation.
The light took the form of a giant bird, as he knew it would. Sura yelped, then dropped to her knees,
yanking him with her. Everyone around them did the same, most of them pressing their foreheads to the
ground. Dravek knew he should lower his gaze, out of humility and the desire not to be blinded. But he
couldn t take his eyes off Raven.
As She approached, Her light illuminated the devastation, throwing long shadows of the shattered houses
and charred bodies.
The Spirit of Spirits alighted in the hamlet square, in the center of the black circle.
 Greetings, She said in a voice that could shake the sun.
Dravek saw Rhia lift her head.  You honor us with Your presence at our hour of need, she said.
 I come to bestow My Aspect.
The crowd drew in a collective breath. No Crow offspring remained who had not already received an
Aspect. Nilik had died, Jula was a Mockingbird and Corek was a Crow himself.
Unless&
Dravek looked at Rhia. Of course. Born of a Crow in difficult labor could mean a Crow person would
transform into Raven in a time of great pain. A Crow like Rhia.
He smiled. The Spirits were clever, he had to admit.
Raven turned Her curved beak toward Dravek.  It s you I ve come for.
The crowd went dead silent. Dravek s smile faded, and the blood seemed to stop flowing as he stared at
the Spirit.
 What? he said, ignobly.
 Must I repeat Myself? Raven said with what sounded like a grin.
 But the the prophecy said that the Raven child would be born of a Crow. My mother was a Spider,
and my father 
He stopped, remembering what Rhia had told him a few weeks ago. Everyone had a Guardian Spirit,
even Descendants, whether they knew it or not.
His father was a Crow.
 No. He tried to get to his feet to run. Sura held his hand tight, keeping him on his knees.  Of all my
people, he said,  I m the least worthy.
Raven came closer, spiking the panic in his heart.
 Dravek. Her head tilted, gesturing to Sura.  You would have sacrificed your life to save this woman
and your people. You gave up your Spirit in order to love her. You are not the monster you believe
yourself to be.
Sura squeezed his hand. To his relief, she didn t say,  I told you so.
 Besides, Raven continued,  you have always been Mine. Perhaps it s why you and Sura loved each
other, because something in you sensed you were not the same.
Dravek glanced around to see several nearby people giving them odd regards. There was no hiding their
true feelings now, and no need to. He was no longer Snake.
He bowed his head.  What do You require of me?
 That you accept My Aspect, and use it to do what only I can do.
Dravek had no idea what She meant.  When? Where?
Raven enveloped him in Her light of every color.  You ll know.
15
Asermon Valley
L ycas tried to move toward the light. The crowd pulled him along, but every jostle spiked the pain in his
chest. Each breath came shallower than the last. He wouldn t make it. He d never see Raven.
Finally he veered away from the crowd, away from the dead and injured soldiers. The battle was over,
and he wanted to be alone.
He found a pile of brush discarded scrap wood from the hamlet s construction, no doubt and
collapsed behind it.
Sitting on the ground, Lycas watched the white and rainbow light glow against the yellowing leaves of the
nearby maples. The hamlet couldn t be more than a hundred paces away, but it might as well be a
hundred miles.
 You always were the lazy one, said a voice behind him.
Mali.
With the rest of his breath, Lycas suggested where she could stick her observations.
 Nice, she said,  and here I am trying to help you. She knelt beside him and took his arm. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]