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Back Forsworn
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

Tomas stared at the red blade dripping blood. “You’re a Crimson Dagger. Who sent you?” Finfalla was filled with plenty of warmongering nobles, but this was a step beyond the edge even for them. “Who paid you?”

Compared to the panic rising inside Tomas, the assassin was as calm as a spring breeze. “You must escape. It is your duty as Crown Prince. Now go! You must climb!”

With that, the assassin slapped the broad side of the sword against his hip, and it instantly lost its form, coiling around his midsection and cinching in the middle. Where its hilt had been a moment ago was now a gleaming red belt buckle. He leapt onto the rope and clambered up faster than should’ve been possible. Tomas stared at his mother’s lifeless body, battling entire armies of emotions, fighting them back, along with the nausea rising in his throat.

He focused on what the assassin had said, analyzing it from every angle. The queen was alive when he’d entered her sanctuary. Now she wasn’t. There were no other witnesses, because she’d sent Lord Stapleton away. Clearly someone else had entered through the roof—the shattered glass and rope dangling from above was evidence enough of that—but would they believe him when he swore he had nothing to do with what had happened? Could he have saved her? Could he have fought harder? Raised the alarm? Given his mother a chance to flee? The peace between Finfalla and Kinkalla had never been strong and had only persevered as long as it had because his father and mother had made it so. But now…

And what if someone had spotted the assassin climbing the cliffs? Or fleeing the scene? His red belt would stand out like a beacon, one of the infamous members of the Crimson Daggers Guild of Assassins. And everyone knew they worked only for Finfalla.

He’s right…I will be blamed for this. I will be used as a bargaining chip. And my father…

As much as Tomas loved his father, he couldn’t trust him to put the life of his son first. Nor should he. His first priority should always be to the kingdom, and if that meant sacrificing his only son to his enemy, so be it.

Which meant Tomas needed to save himself.

“Goodbye, Mother,” he said, voice unwavering. He grabbed the rope, clinging to its solidarity between his fingers like a lifeline. Concentrated on nothing but the task at hand. He pulled himself up, muscles straining under his body weight. “I can do this,” he growled through clenched teeth. The rope was like a squirming snake, one he tried to corral with his ankles the way he’d seen the assassin do.