The cave was enormous.
The fog cleared as he reached the entrance of the cave. The ceiling arched up into dark that Holden's senses couldn't fully map.
The chamber was almost circular. Fallen pillars were scattered near the walls. And in the center, on a raised platform of flat rock, a flower glowed with a light that had no source.
The Ashen Lotus had five petals and each one was the color of something between snow and moonlight, and the glow it put out didn't flicker at all.
Holden's eyes moved to the base of the platform.
A skeleton sat leaning against the rock platform, its back turned to the Lotus. Even though it was just bones now, its hands were still gripped tightly around a thick leather book. A large serpent was coiled around the base of the platform, moving in slow loops.
