Chapter 23: The Last Dawn

Daelan's POV

The Three Realms came to watch the last dawn of the old house.

The wardens stood on the gate stair in their green robes.

The lords of the high places crowded the cloud stair, and the lesser gods filled the walls.

Down below, on every hill of the Mortal World, people had come out of doors with their faces turned up.

The sparrows covered every roof.

My nine sisters stood in a row at the rail, in plain grey, with their hair unbound.

Thessaly was at the end, with straw still on her hem.

Next to her stood the sister of Noon.

She had no Hour on her wrist, and she had come anyway.

Perrin sat on the lowest rail with his hands in his lap.

He was smiling.

"Do it, then," he said. "I'd like to hear how you sound."

I stood under the arch with the Crown on my brow.

Maelis came up beside me with the cradle in her hands, and the ember in it was bright and gold.

Her thread blazed from wrist to elbow.

"Ready?" I said.

"No," she said. "Begin."

Wynne counted them in under her breath.

The nine of them opened their mouths together, and the sound was dreadful.

It was thin and cracked, and none of them were in tune.

Thessaly's voice was rough from the stables, and the sister of Dusk was crying so hard she lost the line.

It was not my mother's voice or anything like it.

It was just nine women saying each other's Hours, one after another, the way their mother had.

Dawn. Morning. Noon.

The sister of Noon had her eyes squeezed shut, and tears were running down her face.

Afternoon. Dusk. Evening.

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