“I looked down into her face, her shattered blade, the words etched down her length that only she and I knew the telling of. We’d waded through rivers of blood together, she and I. We’d carved our names into the pages of history. “‘Never blame the blade. The failure was mine. But I’ve a will to set the ledger to rights amorrow night, if you’ve a will to help me. I’ve a need to slay something monstrous.’ “Always. Always.
