ToP Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty: A Walk in the Dark

Meliu and Ivin, hiding atop the Tower of Markuun’s roof, discuss the Crack of Burdenis, where Meliu escaped Shadows and Taken through High Priest Tulmur’s intervention, hiding in the Tears of the Gods—stalactites possibly infused with protective minerals. Probing Tokodin’s role in Kotin’s poisoning, Meliu defends his gentle nature, learning Ivin found a single die by his body, suggesting indecision or ritual, deepening her doubt and grief. As sunset nears, they descend to Ivin’s cell, planning to flee Bdein. Ivin scrawls a taunting “stone tits” drawing for Iro, but a guard’s cough forces them to hide in another prisoner’s cell. Meliu, wielding Dark, incites madness in nearby cells to distract guards, her black eyes and seductive power alarming Ivin, who spares the sick prisoner with a knockout blow. They slip through the keep, Meliu’s Dark-induced confidence nearly unraveling when she collapses, but they reach the Virgin Moon Temple’s courtyard. At the gate, a priest detains Ivin, and he fatally stabs him, drawing attention. Fleeing through alleys, they blend into a market, where Meliu haggles for clothes, masking their escape. At the Raspberry and Rose, Meliu spins a tale of Ivin (as Tulk) losing his voice to a snake bite, securing a private lilac-and-lavender bath. Planning to hide in the upscale inn, Meliu uses a gem to fund their stay, hoping the search moves on, while Ivin, teased about their cover story, soaks to shed his prison grime. Meliu, washing the bloodied dagger, resists joining him, her playful banter belying the tension of their precarious situation, as Ivin’s growing admiration and her own conflicted feelings hint at deeper bonds amid the danger.

• ToP Chapter 29 — Hissing Tundra
• ToP Chapter 31 — Dining in Time
• Trail of Pyres - Main Chapter Listing