Chapter 22

Paul guided Daniel out of the room that once held the Cauldron. They passed the body of the woman from the hallway. All the cauldron spawn were truly dead now. He wasn't sure how long his apparent invulnerability would last. He didn't really want to experiment in case it suddenly vanished; even if the swords didn't kill him, they still hurt.

They made it to the courtyard. Bodies of the cauldron spawn lay everywhere. Guards shouted at each other. Paul walked Daniel through the middle of it as if they were alone. Out in the city, there was less chaos. People hadn't yet discovered that the ribbons were no longer effective. Paul thought that they would probably continue to obey out of habit.

They stumbled along the street. They had no gear, no food, and Daniel was still shaking with great heaving sobs. Snow fell from the heavens as if it wanted to smother Rym completely.

"You don't want to go out there tonight," the guard at the gate said. "It's sure death in this weather."