The Ash Wraith's steps echoed in the bone tunnel, slow and deliberate.
Kaelen backed away, hand hovering near his dagger, the rune on his palm burning like a brand. The crowd had vanished into side passages, leaving only him, the assassin, and the cold stink of mist drifting in from somewhere unseen.
Then—
A sound. A whisper. A memory.
The heat of the rune flared, and in the blink of an eye Kaelen wasn't in the Bone Markets anymore.
---
He was seventeen again, standing on the sun-bleached docks of Hallowrift Isle. The air was heavy with the scent of sea iron and crushed kelp. The tide carried the distant toll of bells — warning bells.
His best friend, Jareth, sprinted toward him, panic in his eyes.
"They know," Jareth gasped. "The elders found the rune."
Kaelen's stomach twisted. "I didn't—"
"You did," Jareth snapped. "You took it from the Shrine of Whispers. You think I didn't see you?"
Kaelen's mouth went dry. "I wasn't going to keep it. I just—"
"You just doomed us."
Behind Jareth, a squad of armored Sky Wardens appeared, their cloaks snapping in the wind. Their leader carried a chain coiled with glowing glyphs.
"Kaelen Veyr," the man called, voice like a hammer on steel. "By the decree of the Council, you are exiled from Hallowrift for theft of sacred relics. Step forward."
Kaelen looked to Jareth, searching for some sign of help. But his friend only stepped aside.
That betrayal stung worse than the cold iron shackles that bit into his wrists moments later.
---
The memory fractured like glass, and Kaelen stumbled back into the Bone Markets, breath ragged. The Ash Wraith was closer now, less than ten steps away.
"You carry the Seventh Rune," she said, her voice low and distorted through the mask. "I can smell it."
Kaelen tightened his grip on his dagger. "Then you know you won't take it from me."
She tilted her head, studying him. "Who said I wanted to?"
Before he could answer, a deep tremor rolled through the market. Dust drifted down from the cavern ceiling. Somewhere far above, the crowd screamed.
The Ash Wraith turned her head slightly toward the sound. "It's waking."
And then, like mist through a crack, she was gone.