Contents
Chapter 14
Overview
Aris confronts Harlan Raker in a cave and compels an uneasy alliance by burning her map after memorizing it. A specter of her sister lures Aris into killing a demon, awakening a horde. Aris and Raker flee toward a lake whose waters repel the creatures, but Aris falls in and begins to drown as Raker dives after her.
Summary
In the cave, Harlan Raker orders Aris to leave. Refusing, Aris challenges him; their ancient swords clash as equals. When Aris reveals a quest map, Raker threatens to take it, so she throws it into the fire, declaring she memorized it. Raker agrees to a ruthless, conditional alliance, promising to kill her if she slows him or touches his sword.
Aris finds water deeper in the cave and drinks while Raker watches, disdainful behind his hood and mask. Exhausted but sleepless, Aris thinks of her flameless dragon, of Kira and Zane, and of her dead sister, vowing to reach the gods and end them for what happened.
A vision of her sister appears at the cave mouth, speaking to Aris with love and urging that Aris was meant for this. Driven by grief, Aris runs to her—only to strike down a demon disguised as her sister. The kill triggers the ground to rupture as a horde of night demons rises.
Aris and Raker scale the cliff to escape the swarm. Blocked from the cave by more beasts, they sprint across the dark slope toward a silvery glint of a lake, realizing water may bar the creatures. The ground boils with pursuing demons as they run.
Near the shore, Aris is knocked or slips into the water, her sword dragging her down. As she drowns in the black lake, she glimpses Raker diving after her, hood slipping to reveal steel-gray eyes behind a mask, reaching—before the darkness closes in.
Who Appears
- ArisProtagonist; defies Raker, burns her map after memorizing it, is lured by a sister-specter, triggers a demon horde, and nearly drowns.
- Harlan RakerLegendary masked warrior; refuses to kill Aris, accepts a harsh pact, leads toward water safety, and dives in to rescue her.
- Aris’s sister (specter)Apparition resembling Aris’s dead sister; speaks tenderly, lures Aris into striking, revealed as a demon’s deception.
- Night demonsRotting, fanged underlings of the God of Death; swarm from the earth after Aris’s kill, pursue until stopped by water.