Chapter 15

At dawn in Ignios, Diem checks on a sleepless, withdrawn Luther. They discuss Taran’s godstone injuries, and Luther challenges Diem’s optimistic reassurances. Diem argues that joy, touch, and hope can aid healing, choosing to preserve Taran’s morale despite grim odds. Luther yields, offers support, and lightens the mood, though sorrow lingers.

With Alixe, Diem redresses Taran’s wounds and hides the spreading black veins. They need water and herbs, but Guardians watch from the Arboros side, preventing a return. Luther proposes heading north along the coast toward the old Mortal City, hoping for freshwater and shelter. Taran insists he can walk, and they set out.

The desert proves brutal: heat, aridity, blinding sandstorms, and chafing sand slow them. Diem shields Taran during storms, while the Guardians pace them from the trees, emphasizing their entrapment. By nightfall they find no city or sea; Taran holds up better than expected, briefly lifting Diem’s hopes.

Privately, Diem sees the black veins have spread and breaks down in solitude, resolved to keep Taran’s spirits high even if it means lying. She seethes over Vance’s attack yet recognizes the cycle of vengeance that fuels both mortals and Descended. She questions Lumnos’s design, doubts divine choosing, and demands only this: save Taran and get them home.