Salim tries to put what he saw in words. “The script and the story the book tells are a disguise. A decoy. It felt like . . . sunlight, or the auras around your suits of armor. But beneath it I sensed a hidden layer of a different magic. Red as the moon and born of agony and blood. As for the book’s true purpose . . . I only caught a glimpse, but I believe it holds memories from everyone who’s ever touched it, including the three of you.” The Imperial lords regard him in quiet shock.
