nina had grieved for her loss of power, for the connection she’d felt to the living world. she’d resented this shadow gift. it had seemed like a sham, a punishment. but just as surely as life connected everything, so did death. it was that endless, fast-running river. she’d dipped her fingers into its current, held the eddy of its power in her hand. she was the queen of mourning, and in its depths, she would never drown.