No one moved, said anything, not for a long time. Though I held out a tiny breath of hope since no ribbon appeared and the former drach leader's soul didn't rise as I'd seen others do when we returned the pieces of Creator. For all I knew, though, these things would happen differently now. And no amount of searching and calling out could reach him.

Mabel's sorrow softened, eased as she bowed to him and then to me. "Whatever you need of the ...