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‘Did you find something?’ Thea asked eagerly, glancing around the room to make sure no one was listening.

Audra shook her head. ‘It can’t be done. Thought you should know that it’s impossible, so don’t go doing anything stupid.’

Thea’s heart sank, but she plastered on an offended expression. ‘When do I ever —’

Audra was already walking away, making a beeline for Cal.

‘You killed them all, correct?’ the former librarian demanded bluntly, seating herself at the Guardian’s table by the hearth.

‘Yes, ma’am,’ he replied. ‘Well, not me, exactly. But they’re dead all the same.’

‘Nothing escaped? That’s good.’ Audra nodded to herself. ‘Let us hope this means we can keep our secrets a while longer,’ she said, with a meaningful glance at Talemir.

Talemir dipped his head in acknowledgement, but returned his attention to Drue, who was tucked tightly under his arm, and Ryland, who was sleeping soundly against her chest. Thea watched them a little more closely than before, her heart aching for the shadow-touched Warsword who was clearly still reeling from the events of the day.

It was Kipp who came forward and pressed a large glass of amber liquid into the Shadow Prince’s hands. ‘You look like you could use this.’

An exhausted laugh broke from Talemir’s lips. ‘Forever the Son of the Fox, eh?’

Kipp sketched a bow. ‘At your service,’ he quipped, raising his own glass.

‘If you’re handing them out, Fox Boy, I wouldn’t say no,’ Anya declared.

‘Make it two more,’ Adrienne chimed in.

‘Three,’ Thea said, sinking into one of the worn lounges, the cushion beside her dipping beneath Wilder’s weight as he joined her.

‘Four,’ he added gruffly.

Kipp shook his head in disbelief. ‘If everyone wants a drink, why didn’t you just say so?’

‘We’re saying so now,’ Thea told him. She smiled to herself as he went about fixing everyone’s drinks without further complaint. Kipp was always happiest when everyone had a beverage in hand.

Just as he handed Wilder a goblet of wine and offered Thea a tankard of ale, Wren stood up so suddenly that she knocked over the concoction she was mixing.

Farissa leapt back. ‘Elwren, what’s got into you —’

A second later, the doors to the lounge flew open, and the Bear Slayer, Torj Elderbrock, strode inside, his mighty war hammer resting on his broad shoulder.

‘Esyllt’s been taken prisoner,’ he declared to the room as soon as the doors clicked closed behind him. ‘Osiris has him confined to Thezmarr’s dungeons, where he’s awaiting execution.’

Kipp dropped the drink he was holding, the glass shattering across the wooden floor. ‘On what charges?’ he exclaimed loudly, not even glancing at the shards by his feet.

Ryland stirred against Drue’s chest with a whimper, but miraculously did not wake. The rest of the company fixed their eyes on the Bear Slayer.

‘Treason,’ Torj replied, sweeping the loose golden hair from his eyes. Thea didn’t fail to notice how his ice-blue gaze lingered on her younger sister at the back of the room.

‘We have to get him out,’ Kipp said at once. He was unofficially apprenticed to the weapons master, and Thea knew he held Esyllt in high regard.

Torj grimaced. ‘We’ll get to that. But there’s more you should hear first.’ He lowered his hammer and rested it against the wall. ‘King Artos’ army has grown – man and monster alike fill his ranks. He’s using his empath powers to take what little free will is left and bend it to his cause. At his bidding, Tver has declared war on Aveum. Its army marches on the winter kingdom as we speak.’

Thea’s blood went cold.

‘War on Aveum?’ Wilder slid his goblet of wine onto the side table and stood. Talemir was on his feet as well, fists clenched at his sides.

Torj gave them a grave nod. ‘All of Artos’ chess pieces are moving into place. Our time of plotting in the shadows is at an end.’ He stepped forward then, allowing a grin to spread across his face as he offered Talemir a hand. ‘It’s good to see you, Prince of Hearts.’

Talemir gripped his arm and then pulled him into a hard embrace. ‘You too, Bear Slayer.’