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Chapters (53)
  1. Map of Kingdom of Finfalla and Surrounding Area- Western Half
  2. Map of Kingdom of Finfalla and Surrounding Area - Eastern Half
  3. Map of Kingdom of Finfalla and Surrounding Area - Full Map
  4. Important Trigger Warning
  5. Prologue
  6. PART I
  7. One
  8. Two
  9. Three
  10. Four
  11. Five
  12. Six
  13. Seven
  14. Eight
  15. Nine
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Twelve
  19. Interlude: The River of Life
  20. PART II
  21. Thirteen
  22. Fourteen
  23. Fifteen
  24. Sixteen
  25. Seventeen
  26. Eighteen
  27. Nineteen
  28. Interlude: Fallow Fields
  29. PART III
  30. Twenty
  31. Twenty-One
  32. Twenty-Two
  33. Twenty-Three
  34. Twenty-Four
  35. Twenty-Five
  36. Interlude: Of Man and Monster
  37. PART IV
  38. Twenty-Six
  39. Twenty-Seven
  40. Twenty-Eight
  41. Twenty-Nine
  42. Thirty
  43. Thirty-One
  44. Thirty-Two
  45. Thirty-Three
  46. Thirty-Four
  47. POSTLUDES
  48. Postlude 1: Lana Vica
  49. Postlude 2: Ludo Vica
  50. Postlude 3: Cainan
  51. Acknowledgments
  52. An excerpt from Heartsworn, Volume II in The Forsworn Oath, available for preorder now!
  53. PART I

Soraya

Soraya emerged through the haze of shattered stone at the exact moment that Sunny crashed into Shim. Was she trying to knock him away from the nightdemon and toward safety? Whatever the case, they spilled onto the floor in a jumble of arms and legs amidst splinters of wood that used to be chairs and tables.

Shim’s concentration wavered, the nightdemon turning rapidly, ducking low onto its haunches, and then exploded forward, stabbing a trio of claws forth like swords.

“No!” Soraya screamed, skidding to a stop. Staring in horror at what she saw. Shim, a sad smile curling his lips, blood leaking from one corner of his mouth. The monster’s claws were buried in his chest, their daggerlike tips protruding from his back, having gone all the way through. Even though his heart didn’t live in that part of his body, the damage to other vital organs would be devastating. This realization drew a softer, whimpered sob to her lips. “No.”

“Go,” he choked out, blood bubbling from his mouth. “Tell Cintra what happened.” When she hesitated, he shouted, “GO!”

She remembered his admonition from the very beginning of their journey, one that she’d taken as a grim sort of humor, something about what she was to do if he suffered a brutal and violent death. If it was ever funny to begin with, it had been stripped of all amusement now.

Return to the Rocklands.

Soraya turned and ran.

Eleven

Bryony

Kestrel, Finfalla

The moons were high in the night sky by the time they left through the tavern’s backdoor, which led into an alley thick with shadows. At one end, the sounds of merrymaking continued. The opposite end was quieter, further away from the city’s main thoroughfare.

Grudgingly, they headed for the noise.

For Bryony’s whole life, she’d been forced to learn how to place things, events, even people, into tiny compartments in her mind. And she was very good at it now, otherwise she’d never have survived her own childhood. Thus, she’d already stuffed Ludo’s weird healing ability into a small space surrounded by walls to be examined later. Whether he was lying about using magic or not wasn’t important for her current, information-gathering mission.

Plus, she could always sneak away from him if necessary. The art of stealth happened to be another of the skills that had been taught to her during her time spent in the guild.