But just as Ava and Tarn could do nothing but stare in helpless frustration, the air shimmered with the energy of the void, and the regal form of King Harold appeared in the bedroom.
Ava was his beloved sister and Kronos his nephew; moreover, the boy was the linchpin in the critical relationship between the human kingdom and the Stoneheart Horde. It was no surprise that the king had come. He kept his own informants within Rose Manor. Receiving the news, he had come at once, bringing one of the most senior Royal Physicians with him.
But as the King's gaze fell upon Kronos, he froze, his own vast knowledge doing little to prepare him for the sight.
Ava, however, seeing the aged physician at her brother's side, felt a surge of hope. "Master Elian, quickly, you must see to Kronos!" she cried, pulling the old man by the sleeve toward the great bed, her face a mask of desperate expectation.
