Asunder read-along: Chapter 19

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THE READ-A-LONG

What is this? The read-a-long is an opportunity to do a long distance book club with other Dragon Age fans, where once a week one chapter will be discussed in David Gaider's tie-in novel, Asunder

[Official book teaser blurb]The destruction of Kirkwall's Circle of Magi has brought chaos to the lives of mages and templars throughout Thedas. Some mages teeter on the bring of rebellion against their templar watchers, while others struggle to maintain order and stability amid the tides of change.

In the majestic White Spire, at the heart of templar power in Val Royeaux, tension have reached the boiling point. The actions of a few radicals draw the attention of the Seekers, a powerful and secret segment of the templars, who arrive to take command and restore order no matter the cost. To make matters worse, a mystical killer stalks the White Spire's halls, invisible to all save one lone mage.

As Rhys is the only one who can see the killer, all eyes turn to him as the prime suspect in the murder investigation. With little hope of proving his innocence, Rhys's future looks to be short and grim. But his skill with spirit magic earns him a reprieve, as he is drafted into an expedition traveling deep into the western wastelands of Orlais. There, his fate will become entwined with that of a beautiful templar, a tormented soul, and Wynne--heroine of the Blight. Together they will uncover a secrete far greater than they imagined. One that will change the fate of mages in Thedas forever.

If you've read it and have Thoughts or Feels, comment to discuss! Discussion can be serious or snarky, but please keep it constructive and not destructive.

- Chapter 1 (09-Sep)
- Chapter 2 (16-Sep)
- Chapter 3 (23-Sep)
- Chapter 4 (30-Sep)
- Chapter 5 (07-Oct)
- Chapter 6 (14-Oct)
- Chapter 7 (21-Oct)
- Chapter 8 (28-Oct)
- Chapter 9 (04-Nov)
- Chapter 10 (11-Nov)
- Chapter 11 (18-Nov)
- Chapter 12 (25-Nov)
- Chapter 13 (09-Dec)
- Chapter 14 (16-Dec)
- Chapter 15 (30-Dec)
- Chapter 16 (06-Jan)
- Chapter 17 (13-Jan)
- Chapter 18 (20-Jan)

(If the first person who gets to this post can start a comment thread entitled 'Serious Discussion' and a second one for 'Snarky Discussion', I would greatly appreciate it.)

[Chapter 19]Chapter 19 Synopsis

Evangeline and Wynne travel through the sewers under Val Royeuax, having escaped the White Spire, until nightfall, when Wynne leads them to a metal locker she'd rented from a local thief. There, she removes a bag of what sounds to Evangline like coin and a red staff, leaving her usual white one there. The red staff unsettles Evangeline. Cole finds them, and Wynne, with growing rage, accuses him of killing Pharamond. Evangeline tries to protect him and jumps Wynne, and they fight over the staff. Evangeline eventually wrests it from Wynne's grasp and breaks it. She and Cole have a moment, she and Wynne have a moment, and Cole informs them Rhys isn't dead, but injured and locked in the dungeon with too many templars for him to do anything about. He'd come to find them to help, and they set off to free Rhys.

Back in the dungeon, Rhys is suffering from the after effects of a gut wound. Lambert comes into his cell to talk, trying to convince Rhys to confess to the murders and spins Cole as either a spirit or a demon using the murders to keep him on this side of the Veil and manipulating Rhys into doing the killing for him. Lambert's pensive calm unnerves Rhys and he is assailed by doubt, until the threats come out, that he will kill every mage in the dungeon unless Rhys admits to the murders. Rhys laughs in his face and says no, leaving Lambert glowering as he storms out.