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He weathered every echoing inhalation from the monster buried within the thick wall of rock, reminding himself that he had nothing to fear—although tattered, the fabric of fate was still intact, and while it was, Chaos would not wake.
    And Moros would make sure he never did. He heaved himself onto the plateau halfway up the cliff and found himself on his knees before the stone casket. Into its surface was stamped the silhouette of a blade, elegant and long, deceptively thin. Panting but grinning with triumph, he hooked his fingers into the groove of the lid and wrenched it upward. The lid fell away, clattering onto the rocky path that led to the sinister crack in the rock, only steps away. Moros barely felt the deadly pull of Chaos now—he was too elated. Eager to claim his prize, he leaned over the casket.
    And his sense of triumph shattered, along with his hope.
    Though the imprint of a sword could still be seen inside, the stone casket was empty.
    Someone had beaten him to it.

CHAPTER FOUR
    A islin’s hand was halfway to her silent alarm when Rylan laughed. “Are you sure you want to do that? Killian and Timothy are both lying in the Veil, dealing with fairly nasty gut wounds right now. I’d hate to have to do that to another of our cousins.”
    Aislin silently willed her guards to live, but she let her hands fall to her sides and faced her brother. He looked dapper in a business suit and tie, his dark hair swept back, his broad shoulders square. For so long, she’d been envious of his imposing presence, of his easy confidence. Now she knew they masked a deep insecurity. “You’ve given up pretending you’re anything but a bully, obviously.”
    He smirked. “Can you blame me for enjoying my new powers? Aislin, you really have to try it. Our Scopes are nothing. Now I can travel with a simple thought.” He raised his eyebrows. “I think you’d enjoy it.”
    “You’re wasting my time,” she snapped. She could practically feel the suffering of her guards, who had been hurt because she’d asked them to protect her. “What do you want?”
    Rylan flopped down in a chair, the very one Moros had occupied only minutes before. He looked down in mock surprise. “My, this seat is warm. One would think you’d been consorting with a Ker.”
    “Were you spying on us?” she asked through gritted teeth.
    “Only for a moment. You know, I always thought the Lord of the Kere knew everything, but it turns out he has some gaping blind spots.” He grinned. “And my mistress is exploiting them to the fullest.”
    “I’ll be sure to let him know.”
    Rylan’s lip curled. “Have you really chosen him over me? You’re dooming our family, Aislin. What does the board have to say about this?”
    She glared at him. “I am well in control of the board. They’ll comply with whatever I decide.”
    “Really?” He chuckled. “Does Hugh know that?”
    Aislin could barely contain her rage. “You’ve been conspiring with him?” It made so much sense—Hugh had practically suggested the Ferrys join Rylan and whomever he was serving.
    “And so what if I have visited him? I’m not a Ferry anymore—I’m not subject to your command. You made sure of that.” Rylan ran his fingers along the arms of his chair.
    Aislin could still see the blood of her guards under his fingernails. “You became a monster even before you were made a Ker.”
    His eyes narrowed. “Maybe I’m something else, Aislin. Something you can’t understand, seeing as you’re so blinded by your faith in the Lord of the Kere!” He shot up from his chair, so suddenly that Aislin gasped. “He leads an army of bullies who’ve intimidated us for centuries. Wouldn’t you be glad to see his downfall?”
    “Not if it came at the expense of our family.” Not even if it didn’t, her mind whispered. She couldn’t help the thought that Moros was like her, determined to look after the people he was responsible for. “We serve fate, Rylan, and so does