"You didn't answer my question, Althea."

Her arms tightened on his neck.

"One of the four protective stones," she whispered, "is me."

Friedrich's wide eyes turned back to the Grace with the stones upon it. His jaw fell open when he saw that one of the four stones had crumbled to ash.

She had no need to look. "One was my sister," Althea said. Cradled in his arms, he felt her grieving sob. "And now there are three."