Flashback ( PDFDrive )

TWO
BUT HE’S A MURDERER!” FITZ shouted. “Are you forgetting that
Alvar helped bring down Lumenaria?”
“Absolutely not!” The hall fell silent as Councillor Terik rose from
his emerald-encrusted throne.
Sophie hadn’t seen him since the devastating Peace Summit, when
the majestic castle had crumbled around them—and he actually
looked better than she’d been imagining, given his injuries. His pale
skin showed no sign of any scars, and his cobalt blue eyes were bright
and clear. But when he stepped forward . . .
His right leg moved smoothly, but his left leg was much stiffer and
slower. If it weren’t for the silver cane he pulled from the folds of his
cloak, he would’ve toppled over.
“As you can see, I’m still adjusting.” He tapped his left leg with his
cane, filling the hall with a soft clanking that confirmed what was
hidden underneath the thick fabric of his clothes.
Elvin physicians were light-years ahead of human medicine, but
even they couldn’t regrow a severed limb. Instead, a team of
Technopaths had built Terik a custom prosthesis.
But metal would never work exactly the same as muscle and bone.
In fact, when Terik took another wobbly step, he couldn’t hide his
grimace—which was probably why he told Fitz, “I understand your