thought. She had studied and practiced and drilled so thoroughly… only to fail in the most spectacular fashion possible.

            Her grandfather drew to her and, with a whispered telekine spell, raised the discarded once-canticle into his grasp. He examined the housing of the amulet. It was fashioned into the image of three scrolls bound at the middle. He wore an amulet of identical design, marking them both as adherents of February. At the center of his amulet, however, rested the undamaged gem of his canticle.

            He produced a small glass vial and gently tapped the grain-sized remains of Sonja’s canticle within. He stopped the vessel with a cork and flicked the silver chain over the si...

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