The Broken Blades Trilogy, #3
Three Shattered Souls
by Mai Corland
Contents
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Overview
Sora and Tiyung are bound aboard a Qali fleet ship after their abduction from Jeul, unsure who betrayed them. Sora despairs and questions Tiyung, who denies complicity and promises to help. When twin conflagrations ignite on sea and shore, they infer Mikail has taken the Flaming Sword and likely felled King Joon, reigniting Sora’s hope.
Summary
On a Qali fleet ship in the East Sea, guards lash Sora and Tiyung to the mainmast with short tethers. Sora counts heavy guard numbers and realizes they never had a chance without Mikail and Aeri. She questions how their capture was timed so precisely and whether Tiyung was complicit.
Tiyung denies involvement and suggests either Fallador betrayed them or Seok’s spies tracked him, insisting he hadn’t known. Exhausted and guilt-ridden for sparing Seok in Khitan when she could have poisoned him, Sora sinks into despair, believing there may be no way out and that life has stripped her of everything worth fighting for.
Tiyung encourages Sora not to give up, admitting his reasons are personal but arguing she deserves more than suffering. As rain begins and the ship nears Yusan, sudden massive fires erupt—one on the water, another blazing along the Gayan coast—sending the crew into hurried maneuvers and revealing Weian warships in the light.
Recognizing the unnatural flames, Sora concludes Mikail has claimed the Flaming Sword and that King Joon is likely dead. Hope returns as Sora and Tiyung silently celebrate the sign of their allies’ survival, and they clasp hands, resolving to hold on.
Who Appears
- SoraPrisoner aboard a Qali ship; despairs over failures, suspects betrayal, then regains hope after seeing fires signaling allies’ success.
- TiyungCaptured with Sora; denies complicity, suggests spies or betrayal, encourages Sora, recognizes the fires as Mikail’s victory.
- Qali Palace guards and king’s guardDetain Sora and Tiyung on the fleet ship, outnumbering them and rowing to speed away amid the night fires.