Chapter 16

Arpix leads the canith siblings Evar, Clovis, and wounded Kerrol toward his camp within a protective zone that repels skeer. He notes Clovis’s bleeding and shares scarce water at a well sunk through the plateau above a buried city crowned by a toppled queen’s statue. Clovis demands the “weapon” that makes the ward, and Arpix admits he does not know its form or location.

Pressed for news, Evar recounts meeting Livira and Malar in the Exchange, returning by portal to heal Malar, then going back as ghosts. He explains Livira and Malar became trapped inside assistants—the same kind that raised the canith—and that skeer later destroyed both assistants. Livira and Malar’s fates are unknown. Arpix’s group grieves as the realization sinks in.

Over the next two days, Evar nurses Kerrol with Salamonda’s help, while Clovis insists on surveying the tunnels to locate and potentially steal the city’s defense. Arpix describes the supplies scavenged from the ruins that kept them alive and the mysterious deliveries of fresh carcasses Salamonda found, hinting at an unseen benefactor.

Exploring in darkness due to scarce fuel, Clovis relies on Arpix’s sight and guidance. Their wary partnership softens as they share losses: Clovis recalls humans killing her mother; Arpix admits he likely lost his family in the canith invasion yet has not learned how to mourn. Clovis urges him to “howl to the moons” rather than poison himself with silence, then withdraws with a quiet thanks for his light.