"It doesn't matter. You still can't risk harming me." Zevran raised his hand, and his marked followers moved forward. "Touch me, and everyone I've marked dies screaming."
"That's a lie," a new voice said.
A woman stepped out from behind King Tavian. She was young, maybe thirty, with silver hair and void marks covering her visible skin. Her presence radiated power.
"Who are you?" Zevran demanded.
"I'm Valeria. A void priestess. One of the few remaining who remembers the old ways." She moved toward him calmly. "And I know exactly how your marking works. Because the entity who taught you was my teacher too. Before I left and she descended into madness."
"She?" Elaria asked.
"The Weaver. An ancient void entity who specializes in binding magic. She taught Zevran how to mark people, how to
