Aedus hated it when his hourglass talked. The majority of its speech was apocalyptic prophecy, and he would have given anything for it to be wrong. Just once. Preferably now. Stones cut through the soles of Aedus’s shoes as he sprinted down the hill, dragging a stretcher behind him. He winced as his burden banged against the knee-high stone arches that littered the rocky wasteland. The arrival of Nothing had chased them right into the Riddled Plains. “Hurry, moronic human, if you want to live!” Of course, the rest of Hourglass’s speech had to be abuse. Aedus cast a quick glare over his shoulder. His younger brother, Rand, lay in the stretcher behind him, gripping the side with one pale hand while his legs flopped around uselessly. His other hand clasped it. Hourglass’s sand vibrated as it screamed again in a gravelly voice. “Onward! Are you blind?” Aedus swerved...