Contents
63. Lightning in the Dark
Overview
An animated book-crab attacks, and Norrigal destroys it with a lightning ring that burns away. The loss of Kinch’s tattoo heralds Assassin-Adept Sesta’s arrival, who uses deadly sigils to blind Galva and spring for Queen Mireya. Kinch’s arrow and Yorbez’s blade mortally wound Sesta, but the assassin activates a "Go Back" sigil on a clock-hand, threatening to undo events.
Summary
The animated, spiny black crab birthed from the Murder Alphabet book lunges at Norrigal. Cornered and terrified, Norrigal fires a searing bolt from a ring on her thumb, incinerating the creature. The ring overheats, burns her, then dissolves, leaving the group stunned and half-blind from the flash.
Kinch feels a sharp pain and discovers his protective tattoo gone. Bully Boy, the gray tabby, appears, heralding the arrival of Assassin-Adept Sesta. Sesta smashes Kinch aside with iron-hardened arms and immediately engages the Spanths. She blocks Yorbez’s strike with sparks and blinds Galva by spitting a caustic spray.
Seeing a sigil reading Up flare on Sesta’s leg, Kinch anticipates her leap toward Queen Mireya. He looses an arrow midflight, skewering Sesta and knocking her off course into the wall. Yorbez closes and drives a sword through Sesta’s heart as the assassin, grimly smiling, reaches toward a clock-hand protruding from her chest.
Yorbez tries to stop her, but her blade snaps against Sesta’s iron arm. A hidden sigil ignites: Go Back. With blood bubbling at her lips, Sesta grasps the clock-hand, threatening to reverse what just transpired.
Who Appears
- KinchNarrator-thief; reacts to the crab, shoots Sesta midleap, notices his protective tattoo vanish.
- Sesta (Assassin-Adept)Taker assassin; wields iron arms, blinding spit, Up leap, and triggers a "Go Back" clock-sigil while dying.
- NorrigalInjured witch; destroys the book-crab with a lightning ring that burns her and dissolves.
- YorbezSpanth warrior; engages Sesta, stabs her through the heart, but fails to stop the clock-hand.
- GalvaSpanth captain; attempts to fight Sesta but is temporarily blinded by the assassin’s caustic spit.
- Queen MireyaMonath queen; protected by her Spanths as Sesta attempts to reach her.
- Bully BoyGray tabby familiar; precedes Sesta’s arrival, signaling the assassin’s presence.