The Book That Broke the World

Livira runs from the king and his men and is shot. The king is determined to return to his city; he doesn’t believe that he’s now in a different time. The humans can’t leave the chamber because the doors are guarded by skeer, and Oanold again demands that Livira open a portal, threatening to cut off her feet. An Escape emerges from a portal and attacks. 

Livira runs but is apprehended again by Jons. Malar comes to her aid and attacks. Jons shoots him, and a spark from his arrow-stick ignites a book. Yolanda appears and snuffs the fire, but Livira cannot stop Malar from dying.

Yute explains that the black mist is the library’s blood, and it takes form from the strong emotions of those around it. Arpix describes the automaton they found, and Yute tells them that he believes the automata are hunting someone. When Evar is puzzled, Yute reminds him that a people often “will divide into nations, religions, races. And if there’s nothing else to fight, and sometimes even if there is, they will fight each other” (289). Evar acknowledges that the canith have also done this.

Yute explains that the king smuggled himself out of the city in disguise, and Yute brought his group to the library.