But t close; talons failed to rend defenseless flesh.

    Instead, Sabriel felt a sudden surge of Cer Magic and Cer marks flared around tly t t red after-images at ts dancing across her vision.

    Blinking, sep out from tones of tall and obviously strong man, win of Sabriel’s own.

    tling do’s arm, biting out a cten flesree.

    t  it ranger t t s  of his mail-clad body.

    Curiously for mail, it made no sound, no jangling from teel links. A strange body under it too, Sabriel sas and t   all.  every square inciny, constantly moving Cer marks, and Sabriel could see not empty air.

    was a Cer-g, a sending.

    Outside, t eam train venting pressure, test as tself against tered and clouds of t fell from tside.

    turned to face Sabriel and offered its o ook it, looking up at it as ired, frozen legs struggled to make a tento, t, fluid and unsettling. Its face  stay fixed, migrating beties. Some  all bore tougent visages. Its  body and clotly, too,  tails al  er Magic.

    “t pounded the door again.

    “Can . . . do you t . . .  get through?”

    t go o point up t it did not speak.

    Sabriel turned o follos pointing  rose up into darkness. Cer marks illuminated  faded only a little e t taste ter-spells t rode on ty air.

    “I must go on?” asked Sabriel, as it pointed again, more urgently. ts ing e. Be billo, and t  smell of t ed the air.

    ts nose and gave Sabriel a bit of a pus direction, like a parent urging a reluctant c