The prince was smart to tread carefully. Instead of jumping right into the night Avry died, he filled Kerrick in on a few bits of good news. Softening him up, Kerrick thought sourly.

“I’ve received a message from Alga. Your brother and great-aunt are fine, and she says if you don’t visit soon, you’ll be in big trouble—her words exactly.” Ryne gave him a wry smile. “From the impression she made on the messenger, she sounds like a formidable woman, one you don’t want to disobey.”

“She is,” Kerrick said. Avry would have loved her.

“I sent a battalion to Tohon’s castle in Sogra and rescued Zila. She’s in perfect health and with Danny now. He wishes to wait until Noak returns to decide what they’ll do next.”

“What if Cellina gets word of Tohon’s defeat and doesn’t cross the pass?” Belen asked. “Her troops could cause a bunch of trouble for the people living in Ivdel and Alga Realms.”

“I’m sending a battalion over the main pass, so we’ll block her if she decides to retreat. Either way, we’ll stop her.”

“Stop her or kill her?” Belen asked.

“Depends if she surrenders or not. I’m not executing my enemies. The Skeleton King was a prisoner of war until he died from the plague.”

Guess he didn’t ingest enough of Avry’s blood. Good. It saved Kerrick from ripping him apart for torturing Avry. He glanced at the Peace Lily. Come back, Avry, please.

“What about the dead soldiers?” Belen ran a hand over his scar.

“Flea’s been helping corral them. We’ll prick them with toxin and give them a proper burial.”

“And the Skeleton King’s army?” Kerrick asked.

Ryne grimaced. “Most of them are highly...unstable. I’m still working on how to integrate them into peaceful society.”

Kerrick huffed. “Good luck with that.”

“We have a million details to settle and I’m coordinating with all the surviving leaders to reestablish the Fifteen Realms. That’s one of the reasons I wish to talk to you.” Ryne steeled himself. “Since your brother is King of Alga, I wanted to offer you Sogra Realm. We need a strong leader there with experience. You can change the name of the realm. Tear down Tohon’s castle and build your own in the woods. Whatever you’d like. Please, think about it. I don’t need an answer right away.”

Once the shock wore off, fury filled the hollow gaps inside him. How dare he—

Belen put a hand on his shoulder. “Easy. You need to think beyond your grief. And you know the monkeys and I will be there with you.”

Pain burned deep in the pit of his soul, unrelenting. Belen didn’t believe she’d return. That seemed a worse betrayal than Ryne’s.