The Black Guard was still in an uproar even a couple hours later. Matthew, the man normally in charge of the Guard in Mageriaâs absence, was in the midst of assigning duties. There were people with families, they had to be taken care of first. Then there were those that had nowhere else to go, they had to decided what they were going to do as well. Everybody who didnât have a home in the city had to find somewhere else to live, everyone who could take in someone else for a while had already volunteered. There were supplies that had to be âfoundâ and it all had to be done as quickly as possible. The Guard for the most part were made up of former thieves, mercenaries and other people from the shady side of the law. They had no problem with finding what they needed from somewhere that they shouldnât. Their informal motto âItâs easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.â In this case, they werenât even going to be able to beg for forgiveness. But when the survival of so many of them was at stake, they would have to do what they had to.
Mageria was still firmly shut up in her room. She wasnât hiding, she wasnât the type. But when Matthew had gone to talk to her, she was distant and distracted, worried about something aside from everything else that was going on. She wouldnât talk about it, but something big was going on.
-----
Mageria stood alone . . . well almost alone in her room. Her table had been cleared off and the map she had of the Blackpond Castle was spread out in front of her. Over in front of the fireplace, Tala was curled up, basking comfortably in the warmth. Mageria stood absolutely still, fighting down the volcanic emotions that raged inside her. Never had she thought that being exposed as a traitor and loosing everything that she had worked for in the past seven years would be pushed aside. But there was something more important now. The last time this dagger had shown up, it had caused mass chaos and destruction. That was at the hands of someone who knew what they were doing, knew what it was that they had. She wasnât sure whether or not the idea of it in the hands of someone who might not know what they had was better or worse.
Still, sheâd have to plan for the worse case scenario. That the person who had the dagger knew what it was and knew how to use it. She glanced over at the book at the end of the table, the one that the Wolf had left behind three years ago. Sheâd read it cover to cover several times and sheâd be going over it again; hopefully it held something that would be useful.
Mageria reached out to trace a path on the map in front of her, startled to see that her hand was shaking. Frowning, she clenched it momentarily, shaking it in the effort to relax. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her emotions down further, fighting for a clear head. She had to focus right now. She could feel later.
-----
As Crystal walked out of the Inn she felt her right shoulder aching from impact; the outburst of anger had made her ignore the fact that forcefully trying to stab through a metal surface was extremely stupid. Rubbing the aching shoulder, she also realized she still had a bottle of rum in her hands⊠Well, that could actually be useful.
The streets were strangely calm and silent aside from the noises from Inns and other establishments. That was always a somewhat quiet part of town, as long as Crys could remember, but for some reason it seemed far more silent in this particular moment. Crysâ steps made her think of the last time she had sneaked in to the Newhaven Castle; when Ali was being held in the dungeons. That was the occasion in which she was given the path she was about to follow right now, it led her somewhat close the Black Knightsâ quarters, and somewhat close was close enough to find a familiar person.
As she made her way through the same narrow passages she had walked last time, she held the rum bottle firmly in one hand, on the other a small token hidden within a clenched fist. In her mind, whispers of words spoken a very long time ago, by different voicesâŠ
"They are good people... The Knights...â
ââŠthey're not very different from us."
âI have come here alone and without the consent of my superiors in hopes to find a way through our aggressions. To end this foolish war altogether if possible. A great place to start would be to have our people stop their feud. To bring peace between Newhaven and the Wolfpack if possible.â
âI know itâs completely inadequate. But I finally was able to get the whole story put together. And all I can say is . . . Iâm sorry. I wish that my part in all of this had played out differently. I thought I was doing the right thing.â
She gripped the little token a little tighter as she walked, feeling something stir inside; not sure if the memories had caused the feelings or if it was just the opposite.
It had taken Crys a lot of will power to not draw her weapons at Sean inside that cabin the moment she realized what he had done. It seemed like somehow everyone who had ever cared to keep Valcrest in some sort of order or balance somehow got the worse of it. First the Pack, then the White Shadows, now the Black Knights⊠It had made her very angry, but she suddenly realized that she wasnât just angry for herself anymore; her hands were shaky and there were tears rolling down her face, she wasnât sure exactly if out of anger or grief as they were so mixed together it was hard to make it out⊠All of that came wrapped up in a sensation of worry and fear as if someone was holding something heavy over her head...
A rather loud âthudâ broke Crys out of her thoughts. The bottle she was holding had slipped out of her hands. The glass didnât break, but the bottle had hit the ground and rolled away rather loudly, and now she realized that she was no longer in the service tunnels. She was so taken in by the sudden wave of emotions that she didnât realize she was walking out in the open. Her body tensed only slightly as she heard the rolling bottle being stopped by what sounded like a boot. One hand still gripping the little token and the other discretely moving near the, still blood stained, Sai.
-----
Bran had been walking out of the common room with his assignment when he happened to notice a rather pretty young woman coming out of the service tunnels, a rum bottle held in one hand. She might have been taking a few drinks of it already, because she was staggering a bit and weaving, tears running down her face. She stumbled, the bottle falling from her hands and rolling towards him. He stopped it with one foot, reaching down and picking it up with a sigh. The news of what the Captain had done years ago . . . hadnât exactly surprised him. She had always done what was necessary to protect those that she felt needed it and she very rarely regretted it. She drove herself to the brink of collapse in order to keep her men safe, they had all seen it before and sometimes they had to protect her from herself in order to keep her around.
The thought of the Captain being cast out the way she was . . . that left everybody wanting blood in return. She had forbidden it, pointing out that the Council was the ones who were throwing her out, the people of Newhaven were the ones that they were still sworn to protect. So they had been coming up with ideas about how to do so, ideas that the Captain might not agree with, but she wasnât going to have much of a choice.
âAny other time, Iâd welcome the arrival of a pretty lady with a bottle walking around here. But this is a bad time and weâre really not welcoming strangers right now.â He held out the bottle with one hand, other hand wrapped around the hilt of one of his knives. His voice and eyes hardened and his tone became crisp when he noticed just how well armed the young woman was. âIn fact if you were to linger in the slightest, Iâd think you were here to take care of a problem before it became widely known; so Iâd really say that you should just turn around and go before anyone else notices your here. Which would be about a moment and a half from right now.â He took a step back, the grip on the bottle changing to that of a weapon as his suspicions mounted by the moment.
----------
The voice that came to Crystal's ears was that of a man. The moment he mentioned it was a bad time to be there, she understood he was with the Guard. As his tone changed she figured he had probably noticed the Sai and the Katana she was carrying, if he was good he would notice one or two of her hidden knives as well. "I understand this is a difficult time, that is why am here. However, my motives are far more friendly than you think." She stated, her tone and posture relaxing once the shock began to subside, the shaking no longer present. "I would appreciated it if you didn't break that bottle now... It's really good stuff." She said, opening her empty hand and slowly extending her arm so it was far from the dagger at her waist. "Now, friend, I will show you two things, and then I will say why I've come, if you still want me to leave then I will turn around... Should take about half a moment." She stated, simply.
That said, she raised her closed hand and opened it with the palm facing up; showing the small token she had been safely hiding inside. "That's one..." Next, she reached with for her collar with her free hand and pulled on a silver chain that was hanging around her neck. Two rings were hanging from that chain, one was Jake's, the other was her own. She sorted out which was which and pulled on her ring, extending it in such a way that the symbol of an Alpha engraved on its inside was visible even in the distance they were at. "That's two. Now, I've come to speak to your Captain, hoping I'm still correct in saying that she is your Captain." Crys stated, absently tucking the silver chain back into her shirt as if she was afraid to leave it exposed to too long. "As I said, if you won't let me... I'll turn around and you can just tell her I was here."
-------------
âNow, I've come to speak to your Captain, hoping I'm still correct in saying that she is your Captain."
Bran felt an immediate sense of outrage. The Captain . . . she was the Captain, always would be. He wasnât one of them that the Captain had pulled out of horrible circumstances, but she had given him a purpose that he never known. He would keep following her, until something drastic . . . something more drastic would happen to change his mind about her.
Frankly, Bran was dubious about the ring, if the woman had shown it to him from the beginning, he would have tossed her out without a second thought. What on earth would the Alpha of the Wolfpack want with the Captain, certainly nothing good. But the other token. Heâd only seen one once before, when he was sworn in. It was an agentâs token, one of only two currently out of Guardâs hands. And it certainly would have been like the Captain to have a contact with the Wolfpack . . . although come to think of it, she might be the one that had been thrown out when there was a power struggle. He wasnât completely sure what had happened, but he was pretty sure that the current Alpha was a man. On the other hand, if this woman wanted to get back into the Pack, what better way than to take out the leader of the Black Knights? Normally such a token meant that the person was taken straight to the Captain without question, but in times such as these . . .
Whistling sharply, Bran summoned several of the other Guard. âKeep her here,â he told them, pointing at the woman. âCaptain needs to hear about her.â
Walking down to the Captainâs door, he rapped on it sharply. Bran uncomfortably cleared his throat when the Captain opened the door, pushing it outwards until she could see him. It was clear that things were starting to wear on her, her eyes were shadowed heavily and her shoulders were a bit slumped.
âCaptain . . . thereâs a woman here who says she needs to see you.â He spoke softly, only a little above a whisper to keep it between the two of them. âShe had a token but . . .â he trailed off uncomfortably as she raised one eyebrow, leaning around the door to take a look. A shadow of a smile crossed her face and she shook her head.
âAt ease everybody. Sheâs welcome here.â
All around Crystal the Guard relaxed, going back to their duties and plans, while Mageria held the door open for Crys. Bran returned the bottle to her as she went by, shrugging slightly at the look the Captain gave him.
Mageria headed back towards the table in the center of the room, nearly tripping over Tala as she pushed by in an effort to see the new arrival. âEasy now. Just a friend.â Tala whined, but settled down looking alertly between the two of them. Mageria sighed.
âSorry about that. Things are a bit unsettled right now. Although I guess youâve figured out by now. Honestly, Iâm not the best person for an empath to be around right now.â
-----------
Crys smiled gently at the Guard as she retrieved the bottle from him on her way past him. She could tell he was a good man, and a loyal one at that, as many of the others were as well. She didn't say anything to him, however, she simply smiled.
As she went in the room and closed the door behind her, she sensed the presence of a wolf in the room and her expression changed to a slightly childish one. "Aaaw, you have a wolf, now?" she asked, immediately going over to Tala and allowing the wolf to sniff her out all she liked, before finally scratching behind the animal's ears. "I love wolves..." She chuckled. As she addressed Mageria's comments though, her tone turned more serious. "I don't blame them for being cautious right now, you have very loyal people in your Guard, Mageria. They know how far you'd go for them, and they know how far they would follow you. I'm sure not many Captains in the history of Valcrest would be able to say that. And no, you're not the best person for an empath to be around right now, that's true." She agreed, pacing around until she found a chair and taking a seat. "If I lived by that logic however, I'd have to become a hermit and that just sounds awfully boring." Then she waved the bottle of rum. "I thought we could both use something better than tea this time: Courtesy of the Wolfpack." She stated with a light grin.
Crys went quiet for a little while after that, absently rubbing at her sore shoulder, before speaking again with the reason why she was there. "I had a bit of a run-in with Sean and he told me what he had done... Well, more like he bragged about it..." She sighed. "Anyway, I guess I needed to stop by and say that the offer I made three years ago still stands." She smiled. "Suppose it was a bit of walk just to say this, but you showed my clan respect and mercy when you had absolutely no obligation to do so, and you were also extremely kind to me in a moment when I had been literally knocked to the ground, and I never forget these things, because I don't see them too often. So if there's anything you need help with at any given time, anything at all, I put myself and my people at your disposal." She stated, absently playing with the chain around her neck.
-------------
Mageria cracked a small smile at the sight of the deadly assassin loving on the wolf, giving ear scritches and everything. Just that sight was enough to let her forget for half a moment what was going on, something that she was intensely grateful for.
âThe wolf doesnât belong to me actually. Sheâs just watching me for a friend of hers.â The logic of that might have been a bit backwards, but it fit somehow, especially the look Tala shot her when they both moved away to sit at the table. The wolf followed them both, settling under the table and planting her chin on Mageriaâs boot.
âAnd I know my people are loyal. Thatâs the problem, honestly. Theyâd follow me so blindly that I could lead them into a fire and theyâd be sure I had a plan to get them out safe and sound on the other side. So what now? In a situation like this, they need to be thinking of themselves and their families. And Iâm afraid that they wonâtâ She sighed and grabbed a couple of glasses, setting them on the table and pouring a decent amount of the rum into each. âThanks for this, by the way.â
âI appreciate the offer, I really do, Crystal. But what the hell can be done at this point?â She grimaced and knocked back half of what was in her glass, cradling the rest between her fingers. âI could have fought it, the proof that was there was barely enough to cause trouble, especially given the reputation of the Black Knights to begin with. But I made a lot of enemies over the years, people who liked the old way of things. And the truth of the matter is . . .â Her gaze grew distant for a moment, remembering the moment that sheâd killed Captain Stephen Morgan. âIâd do it again and dance on the bastards grave.â She sipped her drink, thinking of her options. âI donât regret anything about that day. But in one fell swoop, Sean managed to destroy any credibility I might have had here in Newhaven. Seven years of work, blood and sweat, up in flames. He had the luck of the Twins, that letter managed to find itâs way to one of the people who apparently has held a grudge against me for quite a while, and now he has all the ammunition that he needs. But the news is out and thereâs no calling it back. By nightfall tonight, it will be all over Newhaven, and Iâm afraid that a great many doors are going to be closed to me and mine from now on.â Mageria took another swig of her drink, feeling the burn as it went down. âI could wish that your mother hadnât kept such complete records. But if all had gone as it should have, it would have been safe.â Reaching forward, she poured herself another drink. âSo what the hell do I do now?â she whispered half to herself. She was starting to add depression to the brew of emotions fighting for control, although that might have been the amount of rum that sheâd just drunk in only a few minutes. She had to admit that she was rapidly heading towards tipsy, a state that she allowed herself only rarely and around people she absolutely trusted.
Mageria had leaned back in her chair, moodily sipping her rum when a sudden though occurred to her. âCrystal . . . you were there for the start of the problems we had four years ago, right? The incident that set off the trouble between the Pack and Newhaven?â She glanced over at the book on the table, hoping that she was remembering things right. If she had someone else here that knew the dangers of what was going on right now in Blackpond; that would be invaluable. On the other hand, telling this young woman that the reason that they had this information was because Jake had gone and gotten himself captured might not go over so well. But that was a risk that sheâd have to take.
âBecause hard as it is to believe, this isnât the worst thing I have to deal with right now.â
---------
Crys was quietly drinking while letting Mageria talk. The wolf's presence in the room gave her something less... Intense, she could focus on so she didn't have to worry about her gift at the moment and, admittedly, alcohol helped as well, but Crys was careful to drink it slowly. When Mageria asked what she would do now, Crys felt that she should speak her mind, even if the question wasn't necessarily meant to be answered. "I understand what you're going through. You feel responsible for those guys, you still care about them and the people you're sworn to protect, and you don't know how or if you'll be able to protect them now. A great part of you hopes that your men will avoid being associated with you in any way, because you don't want to drag them along when you have no idea what you're going to do next and you feel like you can't properly look out for them, and at the same time you want them to follow you anyway because if you're not the Captain then who are you?" She sighed, emptying and refilling her glass again. "If the Blacks are in fact as similar to the Pack as I was told... At some point in the future you'll look back and realize that no matter how different things are, they never truly changed." She said, holding the glass in her hands, but not drinking any more quite yet.
An eyebrow raised slightly and a frown formed on Crys' expression at the mention of the events that occurred four years ago. That followed by the warning that she was yet to hear the worse of it caused a chill to run down her spine. Her eyes sparkled a bright green color as she scanned the whole place for familiar people and, while she did find a few... Jake wasn't in the Castle. "Jake is in Blackpond isn't he?" She asked, sipping from the glass and going silent for a little while more before heaving a little sigh as she asked. "Did he find the damn object?"
--------
Mageria smiled. âThe Blacks are just like the Pack? Who told you . . . never mind. Jake, wasnât it?â She felt better, knowing that Crystal really did know what she had gone through; and wasnât trying to give her useless advice. She took a deep breath.
âYes, Jake is in Blackpond. He apparently had the brilliant idea to get captured to find out if there are any Newhaven soldiers still there . . . anyways, afterwards he managed to get a message out. Not much, just that he had seen the object that Lena had warned me about. That object, is the only thing that fits that description. Which means that somebody in Blackpond has it.â She rubbed her temple, considered another drink and decided against it.
âI already sent a message to the White Shadows, hopefully it will get there in time. I thought that they needed to know, being as close as they are to Blackpond to begin with. And all those people who might not be able to defend themselves . . . the thought is enough to give you nightmares.â Mageria slouched in her chair, considering everything. âI suppose weâre going to have to do something about that, no?â
She was quiet for a long moment, hesitating over what was on her mind.
âCrystal . . . . what were their names?â She rubbed her forehead before drumming her fingers on the table. âDid they find a home, with the Pack?â Sheâd never known; but the womanâs face had stuck in her mind for almost seven years now. She didnât hate the woman for telling her secrets, but it would be nice to have a name to go with the face that had haunted her for so long.
-------
Crys laughed when Mageria asked who said the Pack and the Blacks were alike. "Jake... My mother... Lena... Jake again... And for what I've seen of your people out there it sounds about right too."
She took a small sip from her full glass and heaved a sigh. "That... Sounds like one of Jake's plans alright. " She mumbled. "He didn't mention where he saw it, who had it and if this person knew what it is? He's getting sloppy." She stated, shaking her head, although she was in no way as amused as she seemed. "Knowing Jake, he probably knows more than he was willing to send in a message, so I suppose we'd to have to get him out, or find a reliable telepath. It'd be nice to have more information." She said scratching the back of her head and leaning back in her seat. "I can't believe we're dealing with this again..." She whispered. That cursed weapon had killed her father, almost killed Ali, not to mention the whole mess it caused throughout the Land. Getting rid of it, or at least taking it from whoever had it now was very important. "Are there Newhaven soldiers still there?" She asked, wondering if that was something that needed attention as well. She wasn't fond of the idea of making a wrong move and getting people executed.
Crys took the silent moment to think of who she could trust with this level of information and how she could get it to them as soon as possible so they could help. If the object was in the castle of Blackpond... Getting it back would be a hell of a chore.
When Mageria spoke again Crys shook her head at the question. "Please, if it's not too much trouble, call me Crys." She asked before answering the question. "The woman's name is Amalia, her son Adam, and her little girl, who wouldn't have been born if not for you, is named Emily. They were very well accepted in the clan, yes." She paused for a moment then added. "You have to understand, Mageria, my mother demanded to know everything there was to know about people who arrived in our camp. A lot of people have told her things that they weren't supposed to know even less tell others, and she never intended for any of it to get out, ever. Amalia didn't know who you were, but she was sure the information she was giving was going to remain private and she wanted to make sure my mother knew of the person who saved her life... She was grateful, she needed someone to know" She sounded a little apologetic as she explained that, but she couldn't help it. "When Evin left the clan he set fire to the Leader's Cabin and all the clan records were destroyed, Sean must have gotten his hands on that file beforehand. If we had known... We could've found it and destroyed it." She said, drinking the rest of the drink in her hands and setting the glass aside. "I never really put it all together until Sean mentioned it to me... The son of a..." She stopped herself, unable to speak ill of Sean's mother. "That asshole." She muttered out instead.
-------
Mageria shrugged. âJake wasnât so much sloppy, as desperate. He apparently had to pass the message through a telepath he met down in the dungeons, so he had to be cryptic. Which also means that there is a damn good chance that the person passed on the message to somebody who works for Blackpond. And yes, some of the Newhaven soldiers are still alive as well. Which means that either way, Iâm going to be going to get them back. We just have to trust that theyâre all strong enough to survive whatâs going to happen next.â She sighed, reaching down to rub Tala between the ears. The idea that this dagger . . . which had already caused so much chaos in Valcrest still being out where it could do more harm. That went against everything she believed in. âSo any plan that youâve got cooking already; I hope youâll include me. Otherwise weâll end up getting in each otherâs way.â
âWell, if Iâm going to be calling you Crys, you can call my Ria. Ev; Evin was the only one to ever call me that, and he was a friend from a much different time in my life. But if someone walks all the way to the city to bring you a bottle of rum, they must be a good friend.â She stared at the wall for a long moment. âI do understand about your mother; I really do. Something similar happens with my Guard, because of the backgrounds that some of them come from. We have to know if they have something that would come back to haunt us later. And I donât blame Amalia, I really donât. She did what she had to in order to survive. Itâs just . . .â she shrugged. âDamn poor timing. And someday, Iâd like to talk to her. Just one of those things.â
There was a sudden knock at the door. One of the Guard poked her head in, eyes a bit wild and face pale. âUm, Captain? Thereâs . . . thereâs a problem. It appears that um, Grim Pondus is in the armory.â Mageria felt a deep flare of anger. âGrim Pondus is dead,â she said flatly. âHe died in my arms three days ago.â The Guard looked even more upset. âYes Sir, I know, but heâs still in the armory. Apparently, he came for his sword.â Mageria swore and pushed away from the table, glass still in hand. âIâm sorry Crys, this is something I have to take care of.â She stalked out into the hall and looked down the ways toward the armory, wanting to get this over and done with. Behind her, Tala jumped up and followed her out, head up as she tagged along at her heels.
âWhat the hell . . .â She felt a deep sense of shock as a ghost walked out into view. The Guard between him and her all drew their weapons, going into ready stances; which was a good idea given that she could see two people picking themselves up off the floor already. Presumably Grim(?) had been instant about entering the room.
Mageria slowly walked forward to stand in front of him, face pale. Slowly, she shook her head, tears suddenly welling up and falling unheeded down her face.
âYouâre not Grim. Grim is dead, for three days now.â Her voice started rising, face going even paler and there was a ringing in her ears. âI held him as he died, I lit the fire at his funeral.â Beside her Tala started to growl, deep in her throat; head down and ears back. Dimly Mageria realize that she was going into shock, possibly on the way to fainting. She couldnât do that, not here and not now; so she clenched her hands, fingernails digging into the flesh of her right hand. Taking a deep breath, she fought for strength, knuckles whiting as she tried to hold on. But sheâd forgotten about the glass that she still held in her other hand. With a sharp crack it shattered, cutting deeply into her flesh. Mageria swore, dropping the shards to see scarlet blood running freely down her fingers to land in a brilliant puddle on the floor.
Blood. So much blood.
Two bodies lay crumbled not far from one another.
Her friend lay in a pool of his own blood, a gaping hole through his stomach and an eerily peaceful smile on his face; scarcely breathing.
Blood, everywhere. She was kneeling in Grimâs blood, her cloths soaked in it. It covered the ground, was splashed on the nearby plants, spattered on his face and bubbled at the corner of his lip. All of it from him.
âYou came- back for me.. I-I somehow knew you wouldâŠIâm afraid itâs- ⊠I got in over my head Th- this time...â
Mageria started panting, shaking from head to toe as she fought to stay upright; tried to resist the black tide that swept over her in an effort to drag her down. She was the Captain, she had to stay in control.
â.. I-Iâve seen.. The Black Sea⊠and Iâve- spo- spoken with the Moon. I must go now.. But- will wait for you..
M-mm⊠My dear sister⊠I love you too.â
Mageria shook her head. âGrim is dead. Grim is . . . dead.â
Before her upon a burial pyre, lay the rows of the dead; the Salamanders that Grim had worked so hard to build for years.
And Grim himself.
Stepping forward, she bent and held the torch to the oil soaked kindling stacked around the bier, watching as it caught with a crackle and leapt to fulfill itâs purpose.
So sing together one and all,
And raise a glass of wine,
Here's hoping we will meet again,
Along the road of time.
For from endings come beginnings,
From the old shall come the new,
With hopes for tomorrow,
We'll see our parting through.
Together they watched as the flames died, leaving naught but ash behind. The snow continued to fall, blanketing everything in a falsely comforting sense of serenity. Even though there was nothing left for her, Mageria couldnât bring herself to leave; it felt that if she just waited long enough, the moment would shatter and she would wake up and find it had all been a bad dream. Just a moment more . . . If she just waited one more moment. . . . . From behind her a harsh wind blew up, whipping the mingled ash and snow up and away into the sky, leaving only the memories carried by the living to mark their passing. Mageria drew a breath and bowed to the inevitable. This moment wasnât going to go away, no matter how hard she prayed. Grim was gone and there was nothing that she could do to bring him back. At least the cold that had seeped into her very core would make it easier to do her job; so long as she didnât feel, she couldnât hurt.
Mageria felt like she was coming apart, cracking right down the middle. She couldnât breathe and the room whirled around her in dizzying circles. She forced herself to look up, focusing on the man standing in front of her. Tala still stood at her side, hackles raised as she reacted to the stress that she was going through. Mageria swallowed hard, still swaying like a tree in the wind. âGrim . . . is . . . dead.â She said it with all the belief that she could muster, turning away to walk back to her room. But suddenly the blackness that had been hovering at the edges of her sight crashed down on her, taking the world away and leaving her to fall limply to the ground.