"How could someone cross?" Ella asked.
"I don't understand it, but the essence drained away from the pool. Essence has never been corrosive, yet somehow it ate through the wall bordering the pool… even the stairs were melted away. Without power, my seals faded. The portal would have only been open for a moment, yet that moment was enough."
"Why attack the wedding?"
"He would be powerful, Ella, but not all-powerful, not yet. After crossing over he would have found one thing very difficult."
"No essence," said Ella.
"That's correct, you always were quick. An Everman has the potential for incredible power, but he needs both essence and the skill to use it. My guess is his first objective would be to seek out essence, but his main quest is to reopen the gateway and help his brothers return. The portal requires a large amount of power to open for long enough to allow all the Evermen to cross in safety, and surrounding the Sentinel is a great empire filled with soldiers. He needs time, and he needs to subdue his enemies. Taking out the Empire's leaders would be a big stroke of luck. All of this is conjecture, but we must fear the worst."
Ella shuddered. "So where is he now?"
"I don't know. He could be anywhere. And by now he will have essence. Even on his own, he will be a force to be reckoned with."
"We need help," Ella said.
Evrin shrugged. "You're right there. Rogan's barely holding the Empire together, but it's imperative that he does. I'm troubled, more than I can admit. Even at the peak of the Empire's strength, with essence plentiful and the houses joining their strongest units, facing one of the Evermen would be a terrifying proposition."
"Before the war, we had over seventy Alturan bladesingers," Ella said. "Now, we have six, including Miro."
Evrin nodded. "Bladesingers, animators, nightshades, avengers... We would need them all."
"Can you do anything?"
"My efforts are best spent getting the machines working," said Evrin, scratching at his beard.
Ella held her breath, and then released it with a sigh. "I have an idea," she said. "There is one who could possibly help us against one of the Evermen."
"I hope you're not thinking of me," Evrin said. "I have the skill, but I no longer have the power. Essence doesn't harm me, but that's all."
"If we could find a way to open the portal, we could bring Killian back and he could help us."
"No, Ella." Evrin's reaction was instant. "It's a bad idea.
"He's your descendant!"
"No," Evrin repeated. "There's too much risk. And I told you, Ella. You can never cross."
Ella decided to leave it. "Then what do we do?"
"All we can do. Rogan Jarvish is having the builders of Torakon construct a wall around the Sentinel at my request. He's also guarding the Sentinel with as many men as will fit on that scratched island. I'm rebuilding the machines as fast as I can. There is something you can do, though."
"What is it?" Ella asked.
"We need to find the one who crossed. Where would you go, if you needed essence? The Empire's as dry as the Hazara Desert."
Ella started. "The Akari."
"They're the only ones with essence. Go to Ku Kara and speak with the Dain. See if they know anything."
"There's no use waiting," Ella said. She stood. "I'll leave tomorrow morning. Thank you for lunch."
"I'm sorry, Ella. About Killian."
Ella squeezed Evrin's shoulder and left him sitting, watching her go.
~
THAT night, after the meal of thin soup served at her simple lodgings, Ella retired early to her bedchamber.
She sat on her bed and took something square and heavy out of her satchel.
It was a book, but unlike any other book, for its pages were made of a strange metallic material, and the edges were curled and withered as if from intense heat. The book was badly damaged, but some of the words and diagrams were still legible.
Ella had found it in the chamber inside the Sentinel. If Evrin knew she had it, he hadn't asked for it, and she had studied its contents endlessly.
The Primate had possessed this book, but Ella was sure he'd understood little of what it described. Even Ella, having worked with Evrin for two years, had difficulty comprehending its contents.
She thought about what she had learned.
Only one of the Evermen could cross the threshold of the portal and live, or someone with one of the Evermen by their side. Evrin's powers had been taken from him long ago; he could not cross.
This explained why Evrin had said Ella could never cross over to find Killian.
Also words needed to be spoken on crossing back from the other side, words Killian hadn't known when he'd gone over. It was a safety mechanism the Evermen had built in to prevent danger entering Merralya.