The sound of its passing was like a mountain breaking apart, an echo that signaled the end of an era.
Eris felt the seal on her chest crack again. She hadn't used her power, but the sheer, overwhelming resonance of Soren's act made the Pyronox within her stir in response.
A strange, fierce warmth flooded her, not the heat of the fire, but a jagged, desperate pride. She wanted to scream, to laugh, to go to him, but she forced her chin up.
Focus, she told herself. Don't let him see the cracks.
The second Elder was smarter. It didn't charge. It began a wide, calculated circle, trying to use the distance to get around Soren. It believed that if it could reach Eris before Soren could close the gap, it could still claim its prize.
Soren didn't move to follow it. He simply raised his hand toward the ground. "It thinks distance helps," he murmured.
