more into the room. hy?

    So er. She is bound.

    Blind and o the bond.

    Eyes closed against t, I plunge into t let  s, I drag o t of it.

    t is  doesn’t burn easily. I pus s bech engages.

    Beside me, seps for to open it again. It is sometronger t pulls o t room.

    t sits in ter, is . ft burns my palm as I turn it. Nots me t nig t cs out a land to clutc again. tal burns , I pull her hand away.

    A great cry fills my   tself? I don’t even knoside tural start it gatrengt rises, reacensity, and  be at ts breat continues, impossibly lo fills t and contains it.

    And the fire.

    Outdoors. Rain. to t grass to damp our smoldering clot on our scorc t against t falls on my face, cools my eyes, and I can see again. Never , deep indigo -moving slate-black clouds, ten a plume, a spray of brigain of fire. A bolt of lighen again, and again.

    t tell Emmeline about t I  .

    I turn to o speak. her face—

    iful face is black and red, all smoke and blood and fire.

    her eyes, her green gaze, ravaged, unseeing, unknowing.

    I look at  find my beloved in it.

    ‘Emmeline?“ I whisper. ”Emmeline?“

    S reply.

    I feel my  die.   possible t… ?

    I cannot bear to know.

    I cannot bear not to know.

    ‘Adeline?“ My voice is a broken thing.

    But s or mig be, ter, t know who she is—

    does not reply.

    People are coming. Running up tly in t.

    I rise to a crouctle a. In t tcco my side,