Vaelin didn't turn, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "You carry something within you. Something that should not exist."
Jude's stomach twisted. "That's not an answer."
Vaelin exhaled slowly, then finally turned to face him. "There are forces in this world that have been forgotten. Powers buried beneath centuries of history, erased from memory by those who wished them lost. But some things cannot be erased. Some things resurface, no matter how deep they are buried." His eyes locked onto Jude's, cold and unrelenting. "You are proof of that."
Jude clenched his fists, frustration bubbling beneath his skin. "I don't even know what I am. I don't know why that thing was after me. If you have answers, then stop speaking in riddles and just tell me."
Vaelin studied him for a long moment before speaking again. "What do you remember of your past?"
