High Lord Vaelen regarded her for a long moment.
"You are bold."
"I have to be," Grace said simply.
"Many would have hidden their power. Cloaked themselves in humility."
"I'm not many."
The High Lord smiled faintly at that, the expression both amused and approving. He descended the steps of the dais, coming to stand before her.
"You have grown beyond this galaxy, Grace Blackthorn. You are a monarch of stars." His eyes sharpened. "But even monarchs must tread carefully when dealing with forces as ancient as the Veil."
"I intend to," she said.
Vaelen clasped his hands behind his back and paced slowly, his voice carrying across the hall. "The second half of the Codex was lost during the last Great Fracture. Rumors say it was hidden within the Veil itself, bound to a dying world."
Grace frowned. "A dying world?"
