Chapter 24

The hunter kills a spiked hellice and kindles a fire with a shard of fireglass, sharing food with Aris and Harlan Raker. As they eat, the hunter recounts his guild exploits and trade with Great House heirs. When Aris asks about Vander Evren, the hunter turns grave, calling him a blood-soaked immortal lord and warning Aris never to summon him.

Pressed, the hunter explains the ancient summons: draw blood, pierce a great blade into magical ground, and speak Vander Evren’s name. He then changes the subject, seasoning the meat and continuing his tales while they wait for a skyhorse.

A towering skyhorse arrives, solidifying from mist after eating frozen apples. The hunter provides a satchel of apples to sustain its run. Raker hoists Aris onto the mount and joins behind her. As they race through the night, their forced closeness creates palpable tension; Raker knots Aris’s braid to keep it from his masked face, and Aris eventually falls asleep against him.

At dawn amid cold rain, the skyhorse carries them over water to a ruined island castle. After dismounting, the fading skyhorse departs with the last apple. Inside the shattered keep, Raker builds a fire. When Aris asks for her next lesson, Raker abruptly refuses, calling further training a waste of time.

Raker unleashes pent-up fury, accusing Aris of reckless wonder, courting death, and surviving only because of his blade. He declares he doesn’t need her or her map, tells her to leave the sword and go home, and walks out, leaving Aris devastated and in tears by the hearth.