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I settled back in the cushions, and leisurely crossed aru Mal’Salin wasn’t exactly the infor to talk, I’d take littered in the dihred?"

I kneas goblin When Garadin had taught oblin history, he had concentrated on the crazies--which e of the Mal’Salin dynasty The Saghred had been te who had elevated insanity to an art forendary talise," I said, as if reciting from Garadin’s lesson "It was said to be a black rock that fell from the sky It was incredibly heavy, but it was only the size of aO he didn’t like, which was prettyRumor also had it the rock was more than capable of all of the above and then sohest order could wield it--at least for a while Eventually they all went insane and destroyed thehred was contained in a specially made casket of white stone fro Omari They tried to destroy it and failed, so they hid it It was never seen again" I paused, mostly for air "I couldn’t walk all that well if I had a rock that heavy hanging around reed "And the Saghred is not an object safely transported Which is why the Guardian charged with protecting it had a beaconto keep it with hi place for the rest of his life"

I realized where this was going, and it wasn’t anyplace I wanted to be "Let uess, you think his jewelry cooblin prince didn’t answer He just shred," he told hly translates as ‘Thief of Souls,’ soend, shamans who had fallen fro the sacrificing received enhanced powers froift Those enhanced powers ca sacrificed meant your soul was trapped for eternity inside the stone"

The prince leaned forward in his chair "And if I may correct you, Mistress Benares" His silken voice was little hred did go insane, only a few actually destroyed themselves Most were taken by the stone"

The only sound was the crackle of the fire "Taken?" I whispered

"While using the Saghred If the stone hungered, it would feed to sustain itself Those shamans were absorbed, Mistress Their powers and souls added to those already trapped inside--trapped for eternity with the very colleagues they had sacrificed with their own hands"

"Notcommittee"

The prince shred before them were indestructible--and their adversaries were annihilated My brother and Sarad Nukpana want the Soul Thief very badly I do not want the it My wants are simple, Mistress Benares You have the beacon You are a seeker You will help hred first Once I have it, you and the boy will be allowed to leave here alive and whole"

I had the lodestone to an ancient soul-stealing rock hanging around ht in therivalry And under no circu to help a Mal’Salin, any Mal’Salin, or anyone working for a Mal’Salin gain possession of so with the pet nainal at best," hat I said "I’m hardly qualified to help you"

"One does not need to be a e to use a beacon--or for the beacon to use you I had been told that this particular beacon was keyed to itsto my teacher, you have been able to tap its power quite effectively"

Soif Prihtclub this

"I am curious to kno you can do this," the prince continued, "but that’s not i the beacon was one proble soether So now I must not only keep the beacon from my brother, but you as well And since there is the possibility that Sarad Nukpana will be able to locate the Saghred on his oe must find the Soul Thief first"

"And if I refuse?"

As expected, he cast the barest glance at Piaras I needed no further elaboration, and I hoped the prince didn’t see the need to give it

"Sathrik murdered our mother with his own hands, Mistress Benares He killed or exiled her most trusted counselors, and he has tried to kill ht that shaman from the lower hells to rule beside hi in his jaw "Even more that his diseased mind desires will be his once he has the Thief of Souls Sarad Nukpana only needs spilled lifeblood to open it, and a soul sacrifice to tap its power" His voice dropped to the barest whisper "My brother has everything, with evenleft to lose"

His eyes were jet orbs Not only was he deters a normal person would find just a little bit insane Unfortunately his brother wasn’t here for hiht up in the same house as Sathrik Mal’Salin, I could almost understand the mentally unstable part And on a certain level, I could understand and almost sy to do

"Your decision is quite simple in my eyes," he continued "You are either for ainst hi for Sathrik Mal’Salin"