A swoosh and a flash of light off a wide curved blade. The sharp edge of the dadao sliced right through Tohon’s neck, decapitating him.

A wall of energy slammed into me, shattering all thought.

Destroying all sensation.

Erasing all life.

KERRICK

He kept a vigil by the Peace Lily, refusing to budge. He stayed there day after day after day. Flea and Noak gave him the strength to physically survive the winter, fighting off the desire to go dormant. The monkeys and Belen provided company. They took turns while they chased down the rest of Tohon’s dead troops. The living soldiers quickly surrendered after Tohon’s death, relieved to be finished with the fighting. Noak and his warriors returned to their positions near the Milligreen Pass, planning to surprise Cellina and her troops when they crossed into Pomyt Realm in the spring. With Estrid locked behind her borders, the war would truly be over.

Emotions twisted inside him. Fury that Avry had lied to him. Utter grief that Tohon had taken her with him. If the Lily didn’t save her, he planned to join her. Of course, he wouldn’t share that desire with anyone or they’d never leave him alone.

Instead, he chatted and learned what else had happened the night of the attack. Quain and Loren’s story provided the most entertainment.

“We retreated into the tunnels, leading the dead on a merry chase,” Quain said.

“Beau showed us a shaft that looped around and half of us got in behind them,” Loren said.

“Yeah, then it was just a matter of time.” Quain snapped his fingers.

“What about the guards waiting outside the shaft?” Kerrick asked.

“Child’s play.”

“Uh-huh. I heard one of Noak’s teams had to rescue you,” Kerrick said.

“We were fine, they assisted.”

“And we did our job. Well, sort of.” Loren added another log to the fire. “I did put an arrow through Tohon’s heart. Wrong Tohon, but for a moment it felt very fine.”

“How did you know they weren’t in the tent?” Quain asked Kerrick.

“Noak spotted Avry going into the cave. The rescue went as planned, except...”

They all glanced at the Peace Lily.

Except.

When Belen joined Kerrick one evening a couple weeks after the attack, Belen shooed the monkeys away. Something was up.

“Prince Ryne is here and he wishes to speak to you,” Belen said.

Kerrick just stared at Belen.

“Don’t be like that. He didn’t know what would happen to Avry.”

“Don’t make excuses for him. He was well aware of what would happen.”

“Will you talk to him? Please?”

He could never resist that look. “Only if you stay with us.”

“Why?”

“So I don’t kill him.”

“Good reason.” Belen left and returned with Ryne.

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.”