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Chapters (95)
  1. Cover
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. Dramatis Personae
  6. Fifteen Years Ago
  7. Endas, 25th day of Wellmarch
  8. One
  9. Two
  10. Three
  11. Four
  12. Maladas, 26th day of Wellmarch
  13. Five
  14. Six
  15. Seven
  16. Eight
  17. Nine
  18. Ten
  19. Lumendas, 1st day of Radiance
  20. Eleven
  21. Twelve
  22. Thirteen
  23. Fourteen
  24. Astridas, 2nd day of Radiance
  25. Fifteen
  26. Sixteen
  27. Seventeen
  28. Eighteen
  29. Nineteen
  30. Jeradas, 3rd day of Radiance
  31. Twenty
  32. Twenty-One
  33. Twenty-Two
  34. Twenty-Three
  35. Twenty-Four
  36. Twenty-Five
  37. Endas, 4th day of Radiance
  38. Twenty-Six
  39. Twenty-Seven
  40. Twenty-Eight
  41. Twenty-Nine
  42. Thirty
  43. Thirty-One
  44. Maladas, 5th day of Radiance
  45. Thirty-Two
  46. Thirty-Three
  47. Thirty-Four
  48. Thirty-Five
  49. Tzadas, 6th day of Radiance
  50. Thirty-Six
  51. Thirty-Seven
  52. Thirty-Eight
  53. Thirty-Nine
  54. Forty
  55. Forty-One
  56. Forty-Two
  57. Forty-Three
  58. Lunandas, 7th day of Radiance
  59. Forty-Four
  60. Jeradas, 10th day of Radiance
  61. Forty-Five
  62. Forty-Six
  63. Forty-Seven
  64. Endas, 11th day of Radiance
  65. Forty-Eight
  66. Forty-Nine
  67. Fifty
  68. Fifty-One
  69. Fifty-Two
  70. Fifty-Three
  71. Fifty-Four
  72. Fifty-Five
  73. Maladas, 12th day of Radiance
  74. Fifty-Six
  75. Fifty-Seven
  76. Fifty-Eight
  77. Fifty-Nine
  78. Sixty
  79. Sixty-One
  80. Sixty-Two
  81. Tzadas, 13th day of Radiance
  82. Sixty-Three
  83. Sixty-Four
  84. Lunandas, 14th day of Radiance
  85. Sixty-Five
  86. Sixty-Six
  87. Lumendas, 15th day of Radiance
  88. Sixty-Seven
  89. Sixty-Eight
  90. Tzadas, 20th day of Radiance
  91. Sixty-Nine
  92. Acknowledgements
  93. Discover More
  94. Extras
  95. Meet the Author

“Markos Koschai Rother,” she snapped, finger jabbing as mercilessly as any spear point. “Thirty years of marriage. Thirty years, I’ve abided your nonsense about honour! And now look how readily you throw it away! Your brother would be ashamed!”

“Adrias?”

Rother blanched, his face momentarily torn between chagrin and surprise. But only for a moment. Breaking ranks, he cast down his shield and threw his arms about his wife.

The Knights Sartorov lurched fully to a halt. The Knights Prydonis, riven by consternation, slowed also, their line breaking apart as individual knights fell out of step.

New hoof-beats brought more riders from the west, some in constabulary tabards, others in clothes as ragged as Lady Rother’s.

Viktor’s laughter rolled like thunder beneath the trees.

Lady Kiradin’s shoulders shook. Cold eyes blazed disbelievingly from a bloodless face. “What have they done?”

Apara tore her gaze from Tailinn’s frost-sheathed body and stared across the grove. Knights knelt before their foes, heads bowed in contrition. The battle, such as it had been, was done.

“The Parliament,” she said. “They have betrayed you.”

“Betrayed?” Lady Kiradin rounded, hands hooked to claws. “Betrayed?”

For a moment, Apara feared her mother meant to attack her, so mad was the gleam in her eyes. Then with shuddering breath Lady Kiradin drew herself in, her fingers working feverishly against one another.

“And you?” she snarled. “Where does your loyalty lie?”

Apara blinked away the question. “We can’t stay here, Mother. Your enemies will be coming. Please?” She held out a hand.

Rage slipped from Lady Kiradin’s expression. For the first time, she seemed old, her fire faded and her steel rusted. Her fingers closed around Apara’s and clasped them tight.

“Dear Apara. You were always my favourite.” She stared blindly across the grove. “Take me from this terrible place.”

Sixty-One

Sixty-One

The gates of Freemont yawned wide beneath dusk’s ruddy wings. Kneeling hearthguard waited on the drive, heads bowed and hands clasped to the backs of their necks. Viktor scarcely spared them a glance and hobbled on. If he’d learned but one thing that day, it was that Captain Izack knew his business.

“She inside?” he asked.

Izack grunted. “Hard to be sure where the vranakin are involved. They come and go as they please.”

“And now they’ve gone. Lady Kiradin is on her own.”

“Look . . .” Izack broke off. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re fit to drop. Happy to handle this for you, no questions asked, if you follow?”

Viktor shook his head. “This is my responsibility.”

Izack nodded. “And this sorry lot?”

“Lock them up with the others. The Council will decide their fate.”

A darkened hallway beckoned. Firelight clawed fitfully beneath the sitting room door. Viktor pressed on beneath disapproving gazes of Kiradins long dead. His shadow, every bit as weary as he from the labours of the day, coiled restlessly about his soul.