Realm Breaker

With Sigil keeping a rope on Charlon (who now goes by Charlie), the group travels toward Ibal. Sigil mentions that Charlie was wanted for murder, among other crimes. They bicker amongst themselves, and that night, Sorasa awakens Corayne while Dom and Andry are patrolling. Sorasa and Sigil teach Corayne rudimentary ways to fight and defend herself using her fists and a blade that she bought in Arida. Corayne is not good at either form of combat, but Sigil deems her defense decent when Corayne punches her in the face. When Dom returns to find them mid-training, he is horrified. He and Sorasa argue over Corayne’s need to learn how to defend herself. Andry tells Corayne that her horsemanship could be improved, too.

They board a trading ship in a fishing village. Corayne complains to Andry about Dom and Sorasa hovering over her even though she is not the only Corblood left in Allward, but Andry shares their concern for her. Corayne explains how she figured out that the second Spindle was in Ibal. They talk about Andry’s mother and assume that she must have safely arrived at her destination by now. Andry wistfully speaks of visiting her one day since he won’t be able to serve as a squire anymore.

That night, their ship is attacked by a sea serpent that eats the captain and other sailors. Corayne tries to organize their defenses, but no one listens to her until Sigil demands their attention. Dom secures Corayne to the mast against her will, and the others fight the serpent. Dom is nearly squeezed to death, but Andry saves him, and through their combined efforts, they kill the serpent and throw it off the ship.

Their ship continues on its way, and they meet the Crown Fleet of Ibal. They use Charlon’s forged documents to get through the checkpoint in the Ibalet capital, Almasad. Corayne is impressed by how lovely, clean, and well-organized Almasad is compared to Ascal. Sorasa explains that while the Cors once conquered Ibal, their empire never crushed the people’s culture or spirit. Sensing trouble, the group disperses with instructions to meet at the Red Pillar. As they make their way, however, they see wanted posters featuring their likenesses; the posters are from Galland. They hide from the city guards in a basement and discuss ways to leave the city. Valtik looks to her animal bones for direction and tells them to find mirrors on the sand in order to locate the second Spindle. Sigil and Charlie offer to eavesdrop on local conversations for signs of strangeness in Ibal while the rest remain hidden and make their way to the ruins of Haroun. Both Corayne and Andry notice how frightened Sorasa seems. When night comes, Corayne and Sorasa discuss the Eye of Haroun, an ancient beacon for travelers on the sand dunes; the beacon has long since been destroyed, and Corayne surmises that, given its mysterious power, it must be Spindletouched. Sorasa tells her that the Eye of Haroun initially came from an oasis, but before she can provide the exact location, Sigil arrives with troops from both Ibal and Galland and captures the group in order to collect the reward posted for them.

Meanwhile, Ridha makes her way to Kovalinn by boat, where an Elder waits to bring her to their young monarch, Dyrian of Kovalinn. Ridha is straightforward with him and asks if he intends to ignore the dangers that Allward faces. He tells her that he, unlike Ridha’s mother Isibel, does not long for Glorian. Dyrian’s mother appears and asks Ridha why she has chosen to visit them. Ridha discusses the rumors that the Jydi are no longer raiding. Dyrian tells her that the Jydi are also preparing to fight the enemy that they all must face, whether they choose to do so or not.

Sorasa and the others are brought to the third prison in Almasad and driven underground. They are searched and stripped of their weapons, and as Sorasa is brought to her cell near Corayne, Andry, and Dom, she tracks the turns and passages so that they might retrace their steps. Once they are alone, she recovers the pins that she has hidden beneath her tattoos and uses them to pick the locks on all of their cell doors and release Dom from his chains. They collect Valtik along the way. Within two hours, they ready themselves to burst through to the guardroom—only to find Sigil waiting for them and the guards asleep. Corayne determines that Sigil did not actually betray them; instead, she used this ruse to gain the guards’ trust and steal information from them. Now, Sigil tells them that Erida has sent 200 soldiers to an oasis called Nezri. Meanwhile, Charlie has procured horses.

They all travel through the desert for days and finally arrive at the canyon. Sorasa grudgingly comes up with a plan to use the Shiran, a herd of sacred horses, to protect them from the soldiers on top of the canyon. She feels shame for using the horses in this way, but Dom makes the horses stampede, and their group hides by blending in with the herd. Dom and Corayne nearly get into an accident, but Sorasa saves them. When they spy the oasis, they see that the water now extends far beyond its normal borders.

With soldiers ahead and behind them, the group has no other plan but to get Corayne to the Spindle. Young sea serpents attack them, and the group scatters before Corayne can get the Spindleblade from Dom. Corayne stays with Sorasa, and in the skirmish, Corayne kills someone for the first time in order to protect Sorasa. When burnt soldiers attack them, Corayne is picked up by Sigil, who brings her to the geyser that is gushing through the Spindle connecting Allward to Meer, the realm of oceans. Corayne calls for Dom but finds Andry fighting off soldiers of Galland: men whom he once trained with. Andry takes Corayne onto his horse and circles the oasis to find Dom, who is caught in a circle of soldiers. They help him, but in the process, Corayne kills more men. Dom gives her sword to her, and as she approaches the geyser, she hears the kraken whose tentacles have come through the Spindle. Valtik casts a spell to force the kraken back into Meer, and the geyser retreats. Corayne slashes across the Spindle thread and across the kraken’s final tentacle, using the Spindleblade soaked with her Cor blood. The water retreats, and Andry catches Corayne as she slumps over. The torn Spindle has been sealed once more.

Erida oversees her army as they embark on their siege of Madrence, which garners the envy of her cousin, Konegin. That night, the nobles feast in celebration over gaining the field, disregarding the 1,000 soldiers that they lost to the battle in the process. Over dinner, Erida shamefacedly asks Taristan to spend the night with her in order to produce an heir, but he does not believe that she truly wants him, so he refuses. Konegin comes to make a toast to Taristan, offering wine that has been secretly poisoned. However, the poison does not affect Taristan, and Erida calls for Konegin’s arrest. She worries about the revolt that might happen among the nobles, but Ronin meets with her and Taristan to tell them that they have lost the Spindle to Meer. Enraged, Taristan promises to kill Corayne, and Erida promises to help.