Xan had checked out of the conversation when Dee started talking about the Amber Archives. It brought up some unpleasant memories, after all. So he leaned back and stared up at the sky above them, trying his best to think of literally anything else.

Then he heard the voice.

It was feminine, soft, yet powerful. It called to him, uttering a single word that seemed to cut him right to his core:

“Come.”

He abruptly stood up, looking around for the source of the voice. It called to him again, and this time he heard it coming from the shrine.

“Come.”

He looked at the shrine entrance, expecting whoever was calling him to step out of it. But no one appeared.

“Xan, what is it?” Dee asked. He looked down at her, then back at the shrine.

“Did you hear that?” he asked.

“Hear what?” Dee asked back.

“That voice. It came from the shrine,” Xan said.

“The only voices here are ours, lad,” he heard Rowan say.

Then the voice called a third time, and this time with a sense of urgency that compelled him to act:

“Come. Look.”

Without thinking, he started moving towards the shrine entrance. Bedros and Gayane had been leaning against the tree trunk on either side of the entrance, looking bored and a little bit drowsy. But when Xan started to approach, they snapped to attention. Gayane stepped forward to block his path.

“Can we help you?” she asked derisively.

Xan moved to step around her. She moved in front of him again.

“I need to go in,” Xan said.

“I thought we made it clear – outsiders are not allowed into the shrine,” Gayane said.

“But she’s calling me,” Xan said. He leaned over to look around Gayane at the shrine entrance, eager to follow the voice.

Gayane and Bedros glanced at each other. Bedros stepped forward now, laying a hand on the hilt of his short sword.

“No one is calling, outsider. Now, step back,” he ordered Xan.

Xan glanced at Bedros, noting the weapon he carried. He briefly thought of forcing his way through, then decided against it. Bedros had a sword and was notably bigger than Xan. So Xan stepped back, raising his arms in a submissive gesture.

“Alright, alright,” he said. But as he turned away to return to the boat, the voice called out to him again:

“Come! Look!”

Again he felt compelled to follow the voice into the shrine. But this time he paused to think. With Bedros and Gayane blocking the way, there was no way he’d be able to get into the shrine through conventional means. But they didn’t know about his trump card.

He headed back over to the boat and looked down into the rowing well. Shadow was lying curled up against one of the spare fur blankets. As soon as he came over she squeaked at him, as if asking a question.

“Come here, girl,” he said, tapping his chest with both hands.

Shadow scrambled up the inside of the boat and onto the front of his coat. He cradled her in his arms, petting her back, then picked her up and placed her on his shoulder.

“Think you can get us inside?” he muttered to her.

She circled once around his head, moving from one shoulder to the other. Then she trilled, rubbing her head against his.

“Alright, girl. On your mark,” he said.

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He felt Shadow’s claws dig into his shoulder. He closed his eyes in anticipation. Then, in an instant, he felt the familiar sensation as they blinked from the beach to the inside of the shrine entrance.

He immediately pressed his back against the wall behind him. There was a slight curve in the tunnel that had been carved out of the tree’s roots, and they had appeared just around the bend and out of sight of the tunnel entrance. He could barely see the light coming from the shrine entrance. He could just barely hear Bedros and Gayane crying out in alarm at his sudden disappearance. Normally he would have allowed himself an exultant grin at getting the better of them, but there was no time for that. Instead, he quietly moved deeper into the tunnel, feeling for the wall with his left hand. Once he was certain they hadn’t heard him, he moved away from the wall and began following the tunnel more purposefully.

The inside of the tunnel looked like it had been carved out of the wood of the tree’s roots, leaving it rough in places. The floor was covered with hard-packed earth. Ember Sang crystals hung in stone brackets at intervals along the length of the tunnel, providing occasional light and warmth as he went.

Xan followed the tunnel, taking care not to make any noise. The tunnel twisted and turned as it went, but thankfully there weren’t any branching paths to worry about. Soon the tunnel straightened out, and a large, circular opening came into view. Xan stopped just inside this opening and peered into the room beyond.

The room was large and cylindrical, reaching up into the wood and bark of the tree above. Ember Sang crystals had been placed in sconces at various heights, giving a warm glow over everything. His ears picked up a rushing sound. He looked up to see a curtain of water flowing down from high above, which gathered into a small pool on the far side of the room.

The devotees that had met them at the beach earlier were standing in a circle around the edge of the room, chanting in low intonations. Each held a glowing hand out towards the middle of the circle.

Katar lay in the middle of the room. Taika was kneeling by his side. Keeper Hovo stood over the both of them, hands raised in supplication while he chanted as well.

Before Xan could make out what they were chanting, Keeper Hovo stopped. He lowered his arms and solemnly looked down at Katar and Taika.

“We have done all we can for him. His life is in the Earth Mother’s hands now,” he declared.

Taika’s back was turned to him, so Xan couldn’t see her face. She leaned forward over Katar, clinging to his hand.

“Father?” she said quietly. Katar slowly opened his eyes.

“Taika… my little lark…” he said softly.

“I’m here, Father,” Taika said.

“I… love you…” Katar said.

“I love you too, Father,” Taika said, her voice trembling.

Katar smiled. He reached up to caress Taika’s cheek. Xan, still hiding by the entrance, heard the voice call out to him once more:

“Look.”

Somehow, he knew exactly what the voice meant. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the Spirit Sang still tucked within his sleeve. A moment later he opened his eyes to see the now-familiar sight of tiny, silver stars shining out from each person in the room.

Katar held Taika’s face in his hand. Then his strength gave out, and his hand fell to his side. He took a couple more shuddering breaths… and then he was still.

Taika called out to him, shaking his hand, then his shoulder. Then she bent over him, pressing her face into his chest. Her shoulders shook as she began to cry out in anguish.

Xan watched from his hiding place, unable to look away even though he desperately wanted to. He watched as the shining silver star in Katar’s chest rose out of his body. It hovered over Taika for a long moment. Then it started to float away.

No! Xan thought. He stepped forward into the room, reaching a hand out to Katar’s soul.

“No! Stop!” he cried out.

Katar’s soul slowed in its ascent, and for the briefest second, Xan could have sworn Katar was looking at him. Then it continued to rise up and away until it disappeared from sight.

Xan stood still for a long time in shock and dismay. Katar was gone. In spite of everything, he was gone. Then he suddenly felt a harsh hand grab him by the upper arm.

“There you are! How dare you set foot into the Earth Mother’s shrine!” Gayane scolded him.

Keeper Hovo raised a hand. “Let him go, Gayane.”

“But, sir-!” Gayane protested.

“I said, let him go,” Keeper Hovo ordered.

Begrudgingly, Gayane released her grip on Xan’s arm. Then Keeper Hovo approached. Xan was surprised to see a newfound respect in Keeper Hovo’s eyes as the old man looked at him.

“This young man bears the iridescent eyes of one who sees beyond the veil,” Keeper Hovo said.

Gasps and muttering echoed around the circle. Xan looked around at them uncertainly. Then he caught sight of his reflection in the curtain of water across the room. His eyes were glowing a soft lavender color. He gasped in surprise. He reflexively rubbed his eyes with the back of his sleeve. When he lowered his arm, the glow in his eyes was gone, and he could no longer see the shining souls of the people around him.

“Answer me true,” Keeper Hovo asked Xan, “are you a disciple of the Veiled Lady?”

Xan hesitated. Then he answered, “I am.”

“Then you have seen the soul of our brother leaving this realm?” Keeper Hovo asked.

“I… I did,” Xan answered.

Keeper Hovo bowed his head. Then he turned to all of the devotees still assembled in the room.

“So says he who is called to bear witness to the departure of a soul,” he declared.

An audible sigh of sorrow ran around the room. Keeper Hovo gestured to one of the devotees nearby.

“Prepare the body for the funeral,” he ordered.

The devotee nodded. Then he went over to where Taika was still sobbing over Katar’s body. He gently placed a hand on Taika’s shoulder and tried to raise her up. Taika resisted him at first, then surrendered herself to being led away. As she passed by Xan, he felt like he should say something to her.

“Taika, I—” he began. She silenced him with a glare. Then she was escorted into the tunnel that led out of the shrine. A moment later Xan felt a hand gently pushing him forward, and he allowed himself to be escorted out as well.