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Wilder hated saying it, even now, even after all these years. ‘He’s a half-wraith. Like those people you saw caged in Tver, like the poor creatures you saw imprisoned in Artos’ dungeons… Like the one Cal and Torj shot from the sky. If the reaper had succeeded, he’d be something far worse – kin to the howlers, or a full wraith himself.’

Thea blinked at him. ‘You’re telling me that Talemir Starling, the legendary Warsword, the Prince of Hearts, Thezmarr’s undefeated dual wielding champion, is a fucking shadow wraith?’

‘Half,’ Wilder corrected her. ‘Though his kind prefer to be called shadow-touched. Like I told you in the woods, he’s still human. But he has shadow power, and wings, and claws when he wants.’

Thea shook her head.

‘I swear it,’ Wilder implored. ‘I know my word means nothing to you now, but this… this is so much bigger than you and me. This is about the midrealms’ survival.’

‘So I’m supposed to believe that Talemir Starling is leading his half-wraith army, alongside the Daughter of Darkness, in league with the reapers, to bring down the kingdoms?’

‘I told you before, the shadow-touched aren’t in league with the reapers, or anything that’s trying to come through the Veil and destroy the kingdoms. They’re on our side, Thea.’

‘Side? And what side is that, exactly?’

He wanted to reach out and shake her by the shoulders. She knew him better than this, she had to… But he kept walking. ‘The side that wants to see the light triumph over darkness.’

Thea was quiet, and for that he couldn’t blame her. Furies knew he hadn’t handled it well when he’d finally discovered the truth about Talemir. The brawl they’d had amid the sun orchids in Naarva had been one for the ages.

He slowed his pace ever so slightly, hoping Thea wouldn’t notice. He’d do anything to give her more time to process the truth, to give them more time to work through this together.

They walked through the tunnel in silence while Wilder waited for her questions to come. He knew she was turning things over in her mind, putting the pieces of the puzzle together – the messages from Dratos, how he’d corrected her on the cliffs of Thezmarr when she’d called the shadow-touched man caught in the vine blightitinstead ofhe. How he’d put King Artos’ prisoners out of their misery and prevented another from being questioned by Torj. And then the cage of shadow-touched people in Tver… She would see. She had to.

‘But it didn’t all start with Talemir…’ Thea said slowly.

Wilder glanced across at her. ‘What do you mean?’

‘He wasn’t the first half-wraith,’ she ventured.

‘Well, I don’t think we can ever know who was thefirst.’

‘But we know there was at least one before him.’

The realisation barrelled into Wilder like a wave. ‘Anya.’

A muscle in Thea’s jaw tensed. ‘Anya.’

‘I didn’t know…’ Wilder heard himself saying. ‘I didn’t know who she was to you.’

‘Who she is to me hardly matters. It’s who she is to the midrealms that will count. They were right about the Embervales… Power-hungry, shadow-wielding royals…’

‘That’s not —’

‘Then what is it?’ she challenged.

Wilder shook his head. ‘The shadow-touched are innocent. And there are forces out there taking them, torturing them… Murdering children.’

‘Children?’ Thea scoffed. ‘The only one I’ve seen torturing anyone is Anya. I’ve seen her camps. I’ve heard the screams. She’s the monster.’

‘It’s not Anya.’

‘If not the Daughter of Darkness, then who?’

‘It’s Artos, Thea.’

A beat of silence pulsed between them before Thea burst into a dark laugh. ‘Of course you think the man who has called for your capture is the enemy.’

Wilder had to stop himself throwing his hands up in exasperation. ‘Artosisresponsible for the blight upon the midrealms.He’sthe one letting the reapers and monsters through the Veil.’