Rune felt her mind slipping silently out of her body. She grasped at her familiar form uselessly, trying to stay still. Her hand slipped through her real one. The Rune on the bed didn't stir.

Rune tugged against a consciousness that pulled her in. She tried to get back to her body, but drifted uselessly away. The wall loomed at her, but she found herself flying through it. The energy that made up her awareness shone slightly in the moonlight. Suddenly, Rune was flying over the plains. Away from Dras-Leona. Her body remained peacefully slumbering in between Eragon and Alanna.

Rune looked at herself. Without her body, she looked quite like a ghost – a spectral image that you could almost see in your peripheral vision, then disappeared when looked at straight on.

Although she was terrified, Rune felt herself enjoying the experience. Although there was no body to send endorphins through her, elation lifted her several inches higher.

Rune closed her eyes. She didn't know where the mystery consciousness was bringing her own, but she couldn't seem to get away from it.

Then her heart stopped.

On the horizon, a familiar sight glimmered. Too familiar. She had spent her whole life there.

Uru'baen.

Suddenly, the mind that held her wasn't a mystery. It burned against her energy, and solidified into a black fire that held her tight.

We are one, little Devil. We are one and the same. My blood flows in your veins.

Rune screamed…

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

..and screamed.

Eragon awoke – her mouth was in his ear – and turned to her, startled. "Rune?"

"Father!" she hissed, eyes wide in the darkness.

"What?" Eragon sat up. His eyes were full of concern for his half-lover, and he touched her tenderly. "Rune, what's wrong?"

"He had me! He dragged me away…away from my body. I was…gone, flying towards…Uru'baen…flying…his consciousness twisted with mine and I was trapped."

Eragon kissed her cheek, forgetting their hands-off rule. "Rune, it was a nightmare."

"It wasn't! It was so…real. He told me I was like him. Like…like my father." Rune shivered and started to sob into her hands. "I hate him, Eragon. I hate him so much. Why does he torment me with nightmares?"

"He's been…What?"

"They're terrible, Eragon. First he gave me one of Súndavar. But he was…evil! And terrible. And then I had a day-vision of my past, when he whipped a girl to death in front of me. Her name was Cady, I remember her. I can still hear her screaming. And now this." She cried into his chest, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"What can I do to make you feel better and go back to sleep?" he asked.

"You've already done enough," Rune sobbed. "I feel so terribly alien in my own body, Eragon. Ever since we…am I still me? You never should have touched me, like you did. And I shouldn't have…"

"Shh," he whispered. "You'll be alright. What we did is over, and we're going to have to live with it. As far as I'm concerned, you're a maiden, just…not quite."

"But it doesn't matter! My nightmares don't go away, Eragon. I'm afraid to go to sleep. He's found me. He knows I'm here. He's playing with me, like Ilian the cat played with the mice she caught."

"If he knows where you are, why doesn't he come and get you?"

Rune shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered, "Because I'm a plaything to him. He doesn't need me, I'm merely a source of enjoyment to him. Like my body is to you."

"Don't ever say that! You're much more than a pretty face to me," Eragon cried. "I wouldn't have touched you if that's all you were."

"That doesn't matter either," she said. "You'll not touch me again. I'm not happy anymore."

"That isn't my fault, Rune. Don't blame me."

"I…I don't. I blame him. My father. I want him dead, Eragon."

"I do too. But there isn't much we can do."

"Kel will send us back to the Varden if we ask," Rune reminded. "But I'll not leave without Súndavar. And…"

"And?"

"I'm not sure…I don't think going back to the Varden is what I want to do."

"Rune! You didn't just say that!"

"Yes, I did. I think…I think I might want to…you can't kill someone from across a kingdom, Eragon."

Eragon's eyes widened and he started to cry with Rune. "You've changed, Rune."

"You changed me," she replied through her tears. "And I won't be the same until he's dead."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Súndavar felt a sudden, terrifying fear clutch his chest. He turned icy-cold in an instant. He searched his mind wildly for a connection.

SLATE!!!!

The connection between there hearts was gone, entirely. He couldn't feel the dragon's heart beating alongside his. The distance had hurt him before, but now…now there was nothing. The bond between them had been severed as cleanly as if with a guillotine.

SLATE!!! Come back! Where are you?

He knew the dragon couldn't hear him. But still he screamed in agony, tears beginning to run down his face.

Shay blinked at him in confusion. The breakfast table's occupants all watched him clutch his heart, the water streaming from under his eyelids.

Taten poked him experimentally. "Sún?"

"Slate!" he cried.

"What's wrong with him?" Everett asked.

Shay was already at Súndavar's side. "Súndavar? Talk to me! What's wrong? What happened to Slate?"

"…Gone…" the word leaked from between his lips like a hated shadow under a door. His body was racked with a tremor. "I…I could feel him! Then he was gone." His voice was no more than a whisper.

"What is up with you, Súndavar?" Taten demanded. "First the mirror, then this insanity. Are you going crazy?"

His head snapped up. In one movement, Taten was thrown against the wall by an invisible force. His irises twisted like fire.

Robin moved to block off the boy. "Stop this!"

"Out of my way!" Súndavar screamed. Robin staggered, a trickle of blood running out of his mouth.

Shay glanced at Everett, who looked enraged, then back at the fiery sixteen-year old. The door flew off of its hinges, and he was gone. She chased after him.

Súndavar was nowhere in sight. The street was empty.

Shay was frightened. What was wrong? Súndavar had always been volatile, but he had never blown up like that before.

Everett joined her at the door. He wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Let him go, Shay," he said, kissing her neck.

She pushed him away. "I have a lover," she said. "Vanir, remember?"

"Your elf playboy?"

"Yes. Him. And I love him. I'm going after Súndavar. He's my friend."

Everett frowned. "He just threw Taten against a wall, Shay! Without touching her!"

Shay took a step back from him. "I…I have to find him. Goodbye, Everett."

With that, she was off. Without knowing which way to go, she stumbled blindly through the streets. Her legs finally lead her to Leona Lake. Stripping, she dove in. The water washed away her tears.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Súndavar ended up in an alley. The darkness enveloped him like a warm, comforting blanket. He knew it. It was wonderful and perfect. Who needed light? Not he.

Slate…his heart cried. Oh, Slate.

What had befallen the dragon? Was he…

The thought was too painful. Súndavar's tears began again. He curled all alone in the corner.

I want to die.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Slate felt the connection go out. He had known it would. He had stretched it too far, flying to a place that didn't exist on any map. Whereas Súndavar had been a whisper in his heart a moment before, now he was gone. Slate tried to find him for a moment, but he felt nothing.

Saphira looked at him.

It has happened, hasn't it?

He is gone.

She nuzzled him. You will meet him again, Slate. You will be one once more. As I will with Eragon. It is better this way.

Slate nodded sadly, but in truth he wasn't very distressed. He knew his Rider would be, but he couldn't help it – he was glad the connection was gone. For the first time, Slate could feel clearly the edges of himself. He knew who he was.

Matrix looked at him. You are free, dracling.

Slate grinned. Suddenly, he wanted to land. He wanted to see the land from which he came. He wanted to be a dragon.

Giving a whoop of pleasure, he dove down.

Saphira watched him sadly. He…

Matrix shrugged. He is getting a first taste of freedom, Saphira-fricia. Give him time. The excitement will fade.

But that wasn't it.

He didn't even miss Súndavar.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Rune slipped through the shadows, Eragon in tow. Vanir and Alanna's footsteps echoed behind her.

Suddenly, she was blind. Someone had lit up the room.

Kel, holding a torch, slowly faded in as Rune's eyes adjusted.

She pursed her lips. "You're leaving."

Rune looked at the ground. "The Varden are good people," she said, "But they need to act. We're doing no good here."

Kel nodded. She embraced Rune quietly, then Eragon. Vanir shook her hand formally, and she forced him into a hug. He didn't protest too much.

Her eyes fell on Freoh.

Rune took him from Alanna's arms. She handed him to Kel. "Take care of him," she ordered. She pushed Alanna gently into Kel's skirts.

"Stay with Freoh," she ordered.

"But Rune—"

"No," Rune said. "We're going to find Súndavar and Shay. Then we're going…we're…"

"The time has come to kill a king," Eragon resolved for her. "The kingdom can't wait any longer."

Alanna hugged Rune, then looked at Freoh and Kel. "I'll do my best to keep Freoh from trouble," she said. "If you'll do your best to keep yourself from trouble."

Rune kissed her forehead. "May all your sleep be sweet, Alanna. I shall miss you dearly."

"This isn't goodbye, silly," Alanna said with a forced smile. "We'll meet again. Our hearts will lead us together."

If my heart still beats, Rune thought. But she didn't say that. Instead, she said, "Of course. Fare thee well, Alanna. Sing Freoh songs of me."

Eragon laid his hand on her arm, and pulled her away. Rune waved at the baby and the elf girl as she backed down the corridor.

"Wait!" Kel called. She tossed Rune a leather pouch.

"What is it?"

"The contents of Hane's purse," Kel replied with a grin. "You don't think Marcus would let me really spend as much as I did?"

Rune laughed, as Eragon dragged her out of sight and down another hall.