Explore the profile below. Later developments and revelations are gathered in the expandable story section.
The Veil is a boundary that Lirael identifies as vulnerable where magical currents converge or have been damaged. In BONDS, it can remain intact while becoming dangerously thin. Changes in its condition help the companions understand why an ordinary road, ruin, or spell may no longer behave as expected.[1]
In BONDS[1]
Recognizing strain
Lirael distinguishes the movement of the ley from the condition of the boundary around it. Repeated pressure and damaged workings can leave weaknesses that matter after the original disturbance has passed. The novel gradually reveals what is causing those changes.
Boundary and interpretation
Lirael rejects the Shroud’s language of “waking” the Veil: a boundary can be weakened, punctured, or torn. In the Ashveil ambush it becomes dangerously thin while remaining closed. Elsewhere she insists on further examination before deciding whether a visible disturbance is the Veil, wardwork, or both.
BONDS story revelationsEvents through the epilogue · Open to read
Strain, an opening, and an outside presence[2]
At the Onyx ring, Lirael explicitly identifies a ley fault pressing against the Veil rather than an open breach. Beneath Myth Celador, the damaged boundary allows a distant attention to reach toward the Heartwood. That presence remains distinct from Vaeril, and its identity is unconfirmed. Stabilizing the local work denies it an open bridge without repairing the entire Veil.
Story revelations are closed. Open this section on the website before printing to include them.
Sources & appearances
BONDS: The Tale of Sylas · B.K. McSherry
BONDS · Final Draft 1.0
Referenced chaptersChapters 5–8, 14–15, 22–23, 28, 31, 33
- [1]BONDS · Chapters 5–8, 14–15, 22–23, 28, 31, 33
- [2]BONDS · Chapters 23, 28, 31, 33