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I nodded.

“You’ve likely been wondering how Regner has transferred his stolen power from the oceartus stones to the people he chooses.”

“Yes,” I said. “At first, we assumed he had some kind of magical device hidden somewhere. Until Jamic told us he used the grimoire to take the human’s power with the oceartus stones.”

“What we need to know is how to return the power to those he stole it from,” Galon said.

“Through the grimoires. But it must be carefully done. So carefully. When the grimoires are used, whoever wields them becomes stronger. But with each use, Calpharos’s memory and power return–-the grimoires acting like a beacon in the night. Soon, the dark god will come for those books. And when he comes…there will be no hope for anyone on this continent.”

The room seemed to tilt around me. I shuddered, and Lorian shifted closer, pulling me into him.

“What is it you want us to do?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“The grimoire cannot be destroyed. To attempt to do so would only draw the dark god’s attention.” Some of the color drained from Mona’s face.

“Clearly, drawing his attention isn’t a good thing,” Marth muttered.

“And the stolen power?” Daharak asked.

Mona blew out a breath. “No one knows. But when you kill Regner, someone must take the grimoire. Someone you trust not to be seduced by its power. They must take it and hide it where it will never be found. Or this world and every other world is doomed.”

LORIAN

“We’ll see you soon,” Prisca murmured to Daharak as we stood at the city gates. The pirate queen was leaving to return to her ship. Now that she knew for sure Rekja wasn’t about to declare war on us, she would sail south once more. Some part of me still wondered whether allowing the pirate queen to learn so much about the true history of this world— and the hidden power available—would one day prove to be a mistake.

For now, at least, she was bound to workwithus.

A man stood at the gates waiting for Daharak. Irecognized him as one of her captains—a burly, somber man named Jasick, whom Daharak seemed to trust like no other. When a pigeon landed on his shoulder, he took the message automatically, still watching Daharak.

But when his gaze dropped to the message itself, he jolted as if I’d struck him with my power.

Daharak glanced over and instantly strode his way. He handed her the note, and when she looked up, her eyes were dead.

“What is it?” Prisca demanded.

“Regner must have used the grimoire to hide several flotillas. We’ve been wondering where all his ships are. And they were waiting for us. They attacked without warning. My people didn’t have a chance.”

The blood slowly drained from Prisca’s face.

“How many?”

“They sank eight hundred of my ships.”

Almost half of her fleet. Fuck.

“My people are saving anyone who hasn’t yet drowned. Northin gave the order to deploy the ships still anchored near the fae lands, but…”

“This is a huge loss.” Prisca nodded. “I’m sorry, Daharak.”

I wrapped my arm around Prisca and pulled her close. Her eyes glistened, and I knew she was thinking of the lives lost. The families who would never see their loved ones again.

I was thinking about the war. About the eight hundred ships we desperately needed that were now gone.

“I told my people we needed to fight this war so the barrier could come down,” Daharak said bitterly. “So wecould be free. And half of them died for it.”

Prisca looked as if she’d been punched in the gut. With my arm around her, I could feel her hunch forward slightly, protecting herself from an invisible blow. She opened her mouth, but Daharak had already turned and was striding away, Jasick by her side.

“I made that deal with Daharak,” Prisca murmured. “I didn’t tell her we had Jamic, so she made the blood vow under false pretenses.”