Three (The Godslayer Cycle Book 3) by Ron Glick

as well-maintained perhaps as a royal garden, it was not the chaotically treacherous terrain one would normally encounter in the wilds, either.
    The path One had chosen for Avery weaved in and out of encampments, forcing Avery to divert his route to avoid walking over or into other people.  But otherwise, the way was largely clear.  Little obstructed Avery's path save for an occasional fallen tree which he was forced to step over or move around.  All in all, it was not a hard course to follow.
    The only thing which Avery came to regret was the amount of time that this trip through the woods was taking him.  Wherever One wanted to go, it was not so close that he would be able to quickly return to his companions, and darkness was rapidly setting in on all sides.  The darkness itself did not phase him since one of the attributes of using One 's power was the power of sight, even in shadow.  But he had others who relied upon him, and his being away past twilight meant his power could not be used in their defense.
    Finally, as the last traces of daylight passed away, the man found himself breaking clear of the woods and entering a clearing.  Just as the woods fell away, so did the camp sites, as well.  Somehow, it appeared that this break in the woods was an unseen barrier for the pilgrims, as not a single person had erected even a firepit past the treeline.  With his magical site, Avery could see into the distance where the treeline had been cut back in several places to make room for camps at the far side of the clearing, but on this northern boundary, no such effort had been made.
    Avery cast his vision across the clearing as he felt One 's urgency grow beneath his fingers.  Whatever the sword wanted was here - of that, there was no doubt.  But all Avery could see were the burnt timbers of an old cabin and some kind of raised platform positioned near where the entrance might have been.  As this latter was the only thing which seemed to have been spared of dereliction, this is where he headed.
    As he approached though, Avery quickly saw that this was more than just a raised platform - it was a pyre, of sorts.  Or at least, that was as close a term as the man could attribute to what he saw.
    Glowing in the half-moon's light, a stone table had been set here, with a delicately dressed woman laid out upon it.  The image was pristine, without a single piece of debris having settled upon the woman's form.  The only thing missing to Avery's mind was the wood needed to set what was plainly a dead body afire.
    As the man stepped closer, more became clear.  Some kind of clear crystalline shell rested over the woman's body, preserving it from the elements.  Gold and silver was inlaid upon the glass, and gemstones reflected bits of moonlight as he approached. 
    This would explain why there's no leaves or anything on her , thought Avery. 
    Even the stone looked to be a pure marble upon closer inspection, drawing a whistle of appreciation from the former apprentice.  He might have worked in metal when he was a craftsman-in-training, but any fine art could be appreciated by someone trained to see it.  And this entire presentation was beyond immaculate.
    It suddenly occurred to the would-be God what he was looking upon: this was the divine woman, the one preserved by will of the Old Gods, as the story went.  And looking upon the site himself, Avery could not find a reason to doubt that this was exactly what it professed to be - actual evidence of divinity upon the mortal plain.
    Of course, knowing what he did, Avery held his belief of whether the Old Gods themselves had actually been involved in this in reservation.  Like Hamil had said, anyone could have used Old God magic to do this.  After all, was not his own power derived from Old God magic left behind, as well?
    One began to vibrate with such power that Avery had to hold the hilt with both hands to prevent losing his grip upon the blade.  Nervously, the man looked