Ella’s chamber in the Imperial Palace contained a soft bed, but Ella didn’t sleep that night, and she doubted few of Seranthia’s inhabitants caught their night’s rest. Their city was doomed: revenants now occupied the land around Seranthia unchallenged, and the Imperial fleet guarding the harbor had been utterly destroyed. The Buchalanti storm riders, blue cruisers, and dreadnoughts were all gone. The Tingarans had seen many of their dirigibles burned out of the skies and were now saving the remainder for the Wall. Throughout the night bodies from the naval battle washed up to the docks, nudging against the wooden pilings as if trying to garner attention.
Nevertheless, she readied herself in the morning, washing her face, neck and hands, settling her green enchantress’s dress over her body, looking at her face in the mirror and staring back into her own eyes.
Ella brushed her hair, and still more of the pale golden strands came out with her comb. Her bones ached. The pains in her stomach now struck her with agonizing regularity.
There was a knock at the door.
Without waiting for her answer, the door opened and Rogan Jarvish stepped into the room. Not for the first time, Ella felt sad to see him as an old man. Lines of care wrinkled his face; his hair was entirely gray; and his scars had faded to become part of his skin. Ella’s eyebrows rose when she saw he wore his armorsilk.
“You might be able to fool others, Ella, but you can’t fool me,” Rogan said. “What’s wrong?”
Ella stood and made to leave the room. “I’m going to go and do what I can . . .”
“Tell me,” Rogan said, taking hold of her shoulders. “You asked Alise for essence. What do you intend? Is it something to do with being unwell? Shani thinks you’re hiding something. She told me there was a terrible sickness moving through the Akari necromancers.”
Ella looked up at Rogan; he was as tall as Miro and loomed over her. “I have to do something. I have a greater chance of success working alone,” she said.
“Do what?” Rogan demanded. He didn’t let go of her shoulders. Ella could have sent a shock through her dress to burn his hands, but the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.
Ella met his gaze. “We’ve all seen it. There’s a cargo ship Sentar is protecting. It’s undoubtedly where he has the essence he needs to open the portal. We need to sink that ship.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“With every bit of skill I possess,” Ella said simply.
“Alone? Ella, what will I tell your brother if you fail? Which you will.”
“I have to try,” Ella said. “I’ve been watching the Sentinel. He’s already uncovered the top of the statue. I have to destroy his essence.”
“I can’t let you do it,” Rogan said.
“Rogan,” Ella hesitated briefly, but she decided to tell him. “I’m dying.”
“What?” Rogan gasped. His hands fell from her shoulders.
“I’m dying. Shani was right. I’ve been . . . tainted. I saw what it does. Already it’s a struggle to stand straight and speak to you. In a few days,” Ella said, “I’ll be dead.”
“You don’t know that . . .”
“I know! I’m no fool. I’m not lying to you.”
Rogan circled the room and sat heavily on the bed. “Who else knows?”
“No one. And I want it to stay that way.”
“What do you propose to do?”
“I’m going to sink that ship.”
“There could be a cure . . .”
“There’s no cure,” Ella said. “Or if there is, Sentar Scythran is the only one who knows of it. We don’t understand essence. None of us do—not the templars and not the loremasters. No one can fix this.”
“You never know—”
“I’m going to do this. You can’t stop me.”
Rogan nodded, his mouth moving without speaking, and Ella was surprised to see tears at the corners of his eyes.
“Do you want to see Shani? She’s helping out on the Wall, along with the other elementalists.”
“No,” Ella said. “She’s needed there. Please don’t tell her.”
Rogan nodded, and for a time there was silence.
“May the Lord of the Sky go with you,” he finally said.
“Thank you,” Ella said. “He will.”
Ella was fully aware that with every passing moment more of the wall around the Sentinel was being destroyed, more of the statue revealed; yet she also knew that she stood a much greater chance of success in the night.
She spent the day alone in her rooms, creating the lore she would need for when darkness came.