He spun the ax in his hand again as a reply.

The queen rolled her shoulders back. With a glance at her men, she waved her hand toward me. “Seize her.”

The instant the shrubs moved with Elisabet’s Dark Watch, shadows surrounded me and Roark’s hand took hold of my wrist, but there was more.

The Draven warriors reeled back when Skul Drek’s menacing presence enveloped me—a dark shield between me and them.

I leaned into Roark, holding steady, ready to reach for the dagger sheathed to my thigh if it came to that.

Another sigh, and the queen waved off her guard. “Enough.”

Little by little the darkness of his divided soul faded, but the ferocity of Skul Drek remained written on Roark’s face as he made swift, threatening gestures to the queen.

“We do not stand down if the melder is not given safe passage with your men,” Emi translated, a slight quiver to her tone. She feared the queen.

Rightfully so. When Elisabet looked her way, a snarl curled her painted lips. “Your father will be looking forward to seeing you, niece.”

Niece? My insides tightened.

Roark cast a look my way. I was trying to tell you.

He didn’t have time to go on before Elisabet lifted her hand. “Lower your blades. We are kin. If safe passage home is what you require for the woman, then you shall have it.”

Swear it, Roark demanded.

Emi’s voice was not so sharp when she relayed the command.

The queen’s peaceful facade cracked for only a moment before she snapped her fingers at the man who’d first spoken. “Fillip, tell the others in the trees the melder will reach our gates unharmed.”

A man with golden hoops pierced along the curves of both ears dipped his chin, and barked orders at the others. They wasted no time raiding our camp.

Elisabet looked back to Roark. “We’re not here to battle, after all. We only have cause for celebration. My second son, our prince, has finally returned home.”

Glossary

Berserkir (bare-ser-kerr): Elite warriors of Stonegate.

berserksgangur (bur-serks-gahn-gr): Untamed rage and bloodlust of Berserkirs.

blood craft: The magical ability to cast spells with runes and blood.

bone craft: The magical ability to manipulate, weaken, and break bones.

craft: Magic.

Divisive Wars: The battles that divided the realms into the three kingdoms.

Dravenmoor: The kingdom of Queen Elisabet. Home of soul crafters.

elskan: An endearment like “darling” or “my dear.”

fara wolf: Trained and bonded wolves used by Dravenmoor.

florin: Currency.

fossegrim: A water spirit from Norse folklore that uses a fiddle/violin to lure humans.

god-queen, the: The Wanderer King’s wife.

jarl/jarldom: Similar to a lord, the jarl leads and hails over his/her own territory within a kingdom.

Jorvandal: The kingdom of King Damir. Typically the home of bone crafters.

Jul: A winter holiday.