Lin Tian turned from the edge of the canopy and looked at the Sky-Lily where it floated above the Heart-Tree's crown, petals sealed tight, pulsing with a light that seemed to breathe.
The Third Progenitor Fragment was waiting.
"Will it fight us?" Lu Cang asked, his spear resting across his shoulders as he studied the flower with the wary respect of a man who had learned not to trust anything that glowed.
"No," Linle said. She stepped past Lin Tian, her feet finding purchase on branches that hadn't been there a moment before, the wood rising to meet her like an old friend. "The Fragment recognizes the bond. It's been waiting for someone who carries the right resonance."
She paused, glancing back at Lin Tian. "Someone who carries all the resonances."
