The phoenix broke apart behind Elara.
Its feathers became streams of white light, pouring through her back. The long neck folded inward, and the golden eyes vanished last as the spirit disappeared inside its mistress.
Elara arched.
A thin cry escaped her.
Then winter swept across the clearing.
Snow swallowed the broken pillars. Frost climbed the exposed walls of Frostveil, and the air became thick with glittering fragments sharp enough to strip flesh.
Sonya raised a hand.
Stone curved over Akaza, Virella, and Ammor. Another layer followed beneath the first, leaving narrow gaps through which they could watch.
Around Sonya herself, broad slabs overlapped against the storm.
Their outer surfaces froze immediately.
She discarded them and drew up fresh stone.
When the whiteout thinned, Elara was no longer standing upon the ice.
Four wings spread from her back.
