But the god had turned his back on them and was slowly walking away. He called back over his shoulder, his voice coming to them faintly. ‘First, you and the Dreadblade must rid these lands of the vile creatures that escaped you today. Make these lands safe again.’

‘And then? What about Kelewulf?’

‘Hasz. That is where you must journey if you wish to stop the necromancer. Today was merely a test of his new-found powers. To bring Lorgukk back to this world, he needs the dark god’s heart. And that is in Hasz. But beware. The Hasz’een have no love for the Volken people. You will have to be brave, little demigod.’ He laughed at this, the mocking sound carried away on the wind and disappearing just as he himself did.

The rush of wings made Lann turn. A crow flew past him, so close he could feel air on his face. Looking to where Fleya’s body had been, he saw that only the clothes she’d been wearing remained.

He looked past the garments towards the two crows perched on a large lichen-covered rock. The creatures seemed to be intently watching him and Astrid.

‘Lette and Fleya. They are together again,’ Astrid said softly.

‘Yes. My aunt will be happy. She missed her sister very much.’ He swallowed, his mind a jumbled mix of feelings and emotions. He knew Fleya had faced Kelewulf with full knowledge of what would happen. He also somehow knew that she was happy now, and free. But he felt desolate without her.

‘And they will always be with you, Lann. You know that, don’t you?’

‘With us,’ he said, glancing at her. ‘I cannot do this alone, Astrid. I would not be standing here now if you had not come along with me.’ He remembered an expression his aunt had been fond of, the memory making him smile, despite everything. ‘We are leaves being blown around on the breath of the gods. Will you allow yourself to sail on those winds with me a little longer?’

The grin she gave him in return made his heart lift for the first time since they’d arrived in Vissergott. ‘I would like that.’

As one, the crows cawed – a triumphant sound. Then, unfurling their wings, they leaped into the sky and flew off towards the sea – towards the West and the land of the Hasz’een.

Lann had no choice but to follow.

At least he would not do so alone.

Acknowledgements

I did something I said I’d never do with this book – I pitched the idea to my editor while I was in the middle of writing another book. And when I did, I was a little taken back by her reaction: ‘Write that book. That’s the book you should write next.’ Her enthusiasm for the idea was such that I took her advice and started work on it straight away.