8
Requiem
Not all phantoms stay behind, clinging to the Firmere. The call to return to the Transcent, where all things are born, is tremendous. Do not take Pacts lightly, for a phantom’s denial of ascension exacts a great toll.
—Excerpt from The Book of the Traveler
The familiar seed of despair grew like a weed within him, and blood pounded in his ears. A failed husband. A failed father. And now a failed brother. “Protector of the Realm.” A joke that continued to haunt him. Cade watched as they lowered Dol’s body into the ground. They chose to bury him in the gardens of the temple, just as the sun had begun to set. It was a beautiful service, but Cade didn’t notice. Such a massive crowd had come to pay their respects, you would have thought they were burying royalty. The truth was Dol
