Shardless (Tempris #1)

-An excerpt from the Dawn Codex

The anima is what connects us all. It is our essence, our soul, our light. Be ye fey or mortal or beast—the Shards have blessed you with a fragment of eternity and a place in Moriah.

With a groan, Skye fell into one of the chairs situated in front of the fireplace. He had spent the last two hours giving orders to the Ensigns, the newest and greenest members of the Gate Watchers. Then he’d tracked down what was left of the Gate Watchers’ chain-of-command, before he finally, mercifully , managed to make it up to his room.

Letting his eyes drift over the oaken fixtures, gilded fireplace, and various other flourishes decorating the suite typically set aside for Ivain, Skye almost felt guilty. How many people would be sleeping outside in the rain and cold while he slept in a soft bed with a fire happily crackling in the background?