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    Is there a way to help my father?”


    “There is a ritual,” Trivius said in Rian’s mind, his voice more distant than ever. “A way to send his soul to the true land of the dead. It will only work if he’s willing, which is why you couldn’t use it on Norris and Arwel. Having fed on the living, there is no way for Andred to become a true undead, such as you and Halbert.”


    “What will happen if his magic has burned away his soul?” Rian asked. He was afraid to ask what had happened to Arwel, and he wasn’t ready to hear the answer.


    “There was nothing left of Norris’s soul, nothing left to move on,” Trivius said. “It is unlikely your father will have used his magic if he has resisted his need for blood. Use your magic. You don’t need to free me to fully embrace your power as the Speaker of the Dead.”


    “I won’t free you,” Rian thought.


    “Not yet,” Trivius said, sounding amused. His presence faded into the back of Rian’s mind again.


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