Book Six: Chapter 219

He chuckled softly to himself as he stood near the sundial, hands resting on his hips. After resetting it earlier that morning, Tink had immediately informed him—again—that its final position was still a couple of degrees off. According to her, that meant it was only accurate within a few minutes, which she considered an unforgivable flaw. It didn’t actually matter in any meaningful sense, but that had never stopped her from bringing it up. In fact, she seemed to enjoy teasing him about it far more than correcting it.

“Nope,” he said aloud, mostly to amuse himself. He reached out and ran his hand along the gnomon of the dial, fingers brushing against the cool metal. For a brief moment, he felt it—the subtle hum of ancient power buried beneath the land, steady and patient. “Figured I’d wait until my favorite goblin fixed it for me.”

Tink, who had been crouched nearby pretending not to listen,