His sister met his gaze and held it. ‘On that we agree, brother. He has no wish to rule over the Volken people, and do you know why?’

‘Enlighten me.’

‘Because he sees us as … beneath him. He has no love of these lands or its people.’

‘You don’t know that, Astrid.’

‘I do, brother. And I think you know it too.’

Erik shook his head. ‘Regardless, he is family. We must do our duty by him.’

She gave him a crooked smile and set her head to one side. It was a mannerism their father Mirvar used whenever he thought someone was being foolish. ‘I doubt our cousin will ask me for any help, but if he does I’ll be sure to give it to him. In return I ask that you do something for me.’

‘And what might that be?’

‘Don’t trust him, Erik. He is not the person you think he is.’

The Maiden’s Fingers

3

It was early in the evening and Lann was almost back at the farm, having been out all day tending to the cattle. The pony beneath him was tired and he needed to let her feed and drink soon. At the edge of the world, the sun was doing its best to cling on to remains of the day, and as Lann looked up to take in the changing colours of the sky, he witnessed the star streaking through the firmament. A gasp escaped him at the sight: a bright pinpoint of light trailing a white tail in its wake as it raced towards the sinking sun.

There were three days before his fourteenth birthday, and the witch’s words from the previous year came back to him: One day, not too far from now, you will see a star with a serpent’s tale. Beware that moment.

With difficulty he tore his eyes away from the heavenly sight and looked towards the farmhouse.

His father’s horse was dead in the front yard, its flanks wet with blood where it had been clawed and bitten. The front door to his childhood home was open. The icy fingers of fear gripped him and he sat in the saddle staring at the poor creature, desperately trying to work out what he should do.

‘Run for all you are worth,’ the witch had told him, and he knew he should pull the pony about and set it off in the opposite direction as fast as he could. But his father was in the farmhouse …