The winds had settled on the Mountain of Orenthal, and the last flicker of trance faded from Anastasia’s eyes. Her breath returned with a gasp, as though she had broken the surface of a deep and endless ocean. The world around her sharpened—the sky, the rocks, the distant forests.
She stood alone for only a moment.
And then she ran.
A streak of golden-red light tore across the mountainside, faster than any creature could follow. Down through the valleys of Varethia, she vamped until she reached the gates of the feast hall.
When the doors burst open, the crowd fell silent.
Queen Selene rose to her feet instantly, eyes wide. “Anastasia?”
King Aldric stood beside her. Elder Jacob stepped forward.
Jeremiel and Lydia were already rushing through the crowd.
Peter blinked, watching her wi
