The Binding of Ages

Previously

…She thought of Pip, trapped behind the stone, their mischievous smile, their fierce loyalty. She would not let their sacrifice be in vain. She would find a way to honor their bravery, to ensure that their secret heritage, and their present sacrifice, would not be forgotten. Together, with the Locket of Echoes and the artifact’s song, she would face whatever lay ahead. The path was perilous, the shadows deep, but she was no longer just Elara, the baker. She was Elara Meadowlight, a guardian, a protector, and she would not falter. The memory of Pip’s determined face, illuminated for a fleeting moment by the light of the locket, was etched into her heart, a beacon in the encroaching darkness.