“Just do this, trust me on this, Ember,” he said. Ember looked at him, and he saw the hurt in her eyes, he closed his for a moment, then opened them and met her gaze. A long silence passed between them. And after a moment’s hesitation, she lifted up the black chunk towards the sceptre, all eyes were on her in that instant. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, she touched the chunk to the Stone.