A high moon muted the light of the stars overhead, and all around were towering evergreens growing from rocky soil. After endless strolls around the deck of the ship, Kael stood upright, holding only one side with his palm. Hilda and Edvin clung to each other, but their faces, normally so lively, were like stone. Cold. Hard.

We formed a crooked line amid the Stav.

Here in the lands of the king, the air was sharp with spice from sap and spruce. Sea winds were still chilled, but didn’t cut to the bone. More subtle and briny.

Stav Guard shoved past me, took hold of the others, and pulled them away.

“Wait.” I reached for Kael, but was barred away from him by four guards who gathered in a line. “Wait, where are you taking them?”

One of the guards stepped in front of me. “Better not to travel with so many crafters in one camp. They’ll travel with Captain Baldur’s unit down the shore. You and Stav Nightlark will be the crafters in our camp.”

“I won’t be able to know if they’re safe.”

“They’ll be safe and fed.” The young Stav adjusted a leather strap over his shoulder that was lined in bronze throwing knives. “Until we reach the fortress, of course. After that, I think the Norns will have to decide their fate.”

My stomach twisted. The risk of entering the gates of the royal keep was Kael might lose his life. I had one night to decide if it was a risk we took, or if we ran. With him gone down the shore, I did not know how I’d reach him.

Before he disappeared around a bend in the shoreline, Kael flashed his wide grin, no mistake, attempting to ease my troubles.

Roark’s men maneuvered satchels, fur bedding rolls, and crates of water skins and dried meats in a tangle of lines for the journey.

“Melder.” Emi approached with a touch of caution. “You’d be wise to keep close, the wood is dangerous. These trees house bears and fara wolves.”

“Draven wolves?” The Draven folk were known to hunt their enemies not only with steel, but with beasts they bonded with from birth.

“Aye.” Emi looked to the trees. “But more than all that, blood casts have been set in the groves to disorient and confuse wanderers away from reaching the fortress.”

Gods. I knew Queen Ingir was born of Myrda and chosen to wed King Damir for her blood craft, but I studied so little of the three magical crafts, due to fear of my own, I did not realize she could cast such spells.

Perhaps there were many blood crafters in Stonegate.

Roark took a brisk step forward, shrouding his head in the dark hood, as though telling me he was to keep watch, but did not need to look at me.