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O ur traveling party consisted of three Hiraethian princes, four members of an outlawed band, and one human girl. Needless to say, I felt a bit out of place. We’d left Fallon behind to watch over Whisperhold with a few members of the Raven’s Hand, and I was desperately missing her company.

We traveled all day, moving deeper into the heart of Thornwyn Forest. The dense wood, which had once felt like a sanctuary, no longer felt inviting.

The pines towered overhead, leaving us in a perpetual twilight, while shadows lurked in every corner.

It made my skin crawl and anxiety pool in my stomach.

The gnawing trepidation had become my ever-present companion, worming its way through my veins until everything seemed like a potential threat.

I couldn’t imagine why anyone would choose to set up camp in these woods.

Sawyer let out a whooping call that reverberated through the trees, which was quickly answered in kind. A resounding announcement of our arrival. “Welcome to our home,” he said as we crested a small knoll.

Situated in a wooded dell was a sprawling encampment.

Without Sawyer, I would have walked right past this place without a second glance.

The shelters were simple, thatched with pine boughs and hidden under a thick carpet of fallen leaves—perfectly camouflaged against the wooded backdrop.

I’d expected a bustling settlement, something like the Lost Boys’ camp in Neverland, but this place appeared abandoned.

A greeting bellowed down from a male on a high platform nestled in the trees.

“It’s not much, but it’s ours. Come, my friends, let me make introductions,” Sawyer said, clapping Nico on the back.

As they spoke, people emerged from the shelters. I’d expected rogue males—outlaws and vagabonds—but this was a community. Females stood beside elders while dirty-faced children peeked out from behind their skirts with wide, curious eyes. Warm glances and wary looks greeted our arrival.

“Comrades!” Sawyer’s voice boomed in the clearing, quieting the whispers.

“We’ve brought news. The Divine has chosen for our paths to cross with the prodigal sons of Artos.

Please join me in welcoming Lucius, Luca, and Nico to our humble home.

” A hush fell over the crowd, stunned looks plastered on their faces.

“Now, before anyone gets their feathers ruffled, I ask that you listen to the stories they have to tell with an open mind. Let us settle in, show these lads some hospitality, and we’ll meet at the communal fire for the evening meal. ”

They gave the four of us our own shelter.

I was mortified when they moved others out to make room for us, but Nico stopped me when I tried to turn it down.

“I know you’re trying to be polite, but turning down hospitality would be a mark of shame for our hosts,” he explained. So I smiled and thanked them profusely.

A sweet elderly female named Maeve was the only one brave enough to approach us, though I couldn’t tell if the choice had been hers or not.

She said little, bowing politely, but her deep-set eyes were curious, watching my every move.

Smile lines framed her face, but her lips remained pressed in a firm line, as if she were holding back a flood of questions for the human girl in their midst. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was little more than a circus sideshow to these people.

She dropped off a skein of water, a few hand-carved cups, and bedrolls before shuffling back to a waiting gaggle of nosy females who failed miserably at appearing inconspicuous.

Dusk settled in fast. What little light remained was quickly swallowed, like a Divine hand pulling a blanket of night across the sky.

The brothers stayed close as we took up a place of honor by the fire.

None of them voiced any concerns, but I could sense their unease—the stiffness in their posture, the knowing glances that passed between them.

The snap and pop of the fire was a welcome distraction from the otherworldly sounds moaning through the trees. I could’ve sworn I heard voices calling to me.

“Do you hear that?” I whispered to Luca, who had taken the seat beside me.

“I don’t know. What am I supposed to be hearing?” he asked, leaning in conspiratorially.

I paused, waiting for it to call to me again. A soft hiss spilled over the leaves, a beautifully haunting siren’s song in a strange language I couldn’t understand. “There! Did you hear that?”

“Is the wind making you nervous?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Apparently the wind in Hiraeth can talk,” I mumbled, and he let out a soft chuckle.

“That may actually be true. They say this forest is haunted.”

“Really? I don’t know if I should believe you or if you’re trying to make a fool of me.”

“Aw, Mic, I would never do such a thing,” he said, gripping my shoulder and pulling me in closer. “Lucius,” he called, leaning across me to speak to his brother on my other side. “What do they say about these woods?”

“That they’re full of pompous assholes,” Lu grumbled, chucking a stick at him.

“He’s talking about the Lady of the Wood,” Sawyer cut in, his deep, resonant voice laced with warning.

“Legend has it there’s a witch who lives in this forest. Her dark magic runs wild through the trees, waiting to devour any living creature that wanders here.

That’s why we made camp in Thornwyn. The myths help keep the king’s army away. ”

“So the legends are false, then?” I asked, needing reassurance that I wasn’t losing my mind.

“I can’t say for sure. None of us have fallen victim to the Lady of the Wood, but there are things I’ve seen that I can’t explain. Levi here swears he saw her walking through the trees—but he’s also a glutton for attention.”

“I heard that, Sawyer, you bastard. I saw her! Prettiest witch you’ve ever seen,” Levi shot back.

“Now we know you’re lying,” Sawyer said with a chuckle. The crowd relaxed, laughter easing the tension.

The females began serving the evening meal.

Soup that was little more than broth with a few meager vegetables.

Yet to these people, it was a feast. I watched in silence as they smiled and laughed over so little, and a hollow ache grew in my chest. How were these people going to help us save Jase, Finn, and Hunter when they could barely feed themselves?

Nico said we needed an army. But all I saw were hollow faces and weary bodies barely clinging to survival.

Even if we could trust them, they didn’t look like warriors. And yet they were the only hope we had.

“Help yourselves to the ale. Food may be scarce, but the crown always ensures we have enough drink to warm our hollow bellies,” Levi said, pouring the pungent liquid into outstretched cups.

“Seems like the grain could be more useful as a food source,” Nico suggested.

“Nah. They killed the will of the people. The alcohol keeps them numb. There’s no fight left in us... so we drink,” Sawyer said before taking a hearty swig.

Once everyone was served and cups were overflowing, Nico began his story. He was a gifted storyteller, captivating the group, and I found myself spellbound—seeing my own experiences through an entirely new perspective.

“I am not my father—I know this,” he said in conclusion.

“I do not wear his crown, and I have not yet earned the honor of your allegiance. But I know this to be true: the Bloodstone Sigil now rests on the finger of a traitor. A male whose only ambition is to oppress his people for his own benefit. He would see you divided and broken. I am young, yes. Unproven in your eyes. But I am also unshaken. I do not stand before you as a spoiled prince seeking glory, but as a son, seeking to honor his father and reclaim what has been stolen. I don’t expect you to make a decision now.

All I ask is that—for the sake of my father—please consider what I’ve said tonight, and envision what kind of Hiraeth you want to see tomorrow. ”

Silence settled over the fire.

“Have you seen the Book of Astrium?” Sawyer asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

“I have,” Nico answered solemnly.

“Is there some prophecy you’re hiding from us?”

“I’ve seen the book, but the prophecies remain a mystery. There are no scribes who can translate the text. That’s common knowledge.”

“I have to assume that you know something we don’t.

Or else why throw your lot in with the lowest of society?

How are we supposed to fight this war—because that is what you’re asking.

Levi over here, they took his farm when he couldn’t pay the taxes.

Maeve’s fated died in the brig for stealing a loaf of bread.

Fiona lost her husband and daughter to the illness.

The nobles haven’t lifted a finger to stop the plague.

It’s Dunharrow’s dirty little secret. And every one of us has a story like that,” Sawyer said.

My heart broke for these people, for all the suffering they’d endured.

And from the darkness clouding Nico’s eyes, I knew he felt it too.

“And by your own words, Johan wears the Bloodstone Sigil. If he’s not the divinely chosen king, how is that possible?

How do you plan to overthrow him when he controls all four houses? ”

“The Bloodstone Sigil is a tool. There is more to being king than donning a piece of jewelry. Have faith, Sawyer. I’ll prove I’m the rightful bearer of the ring.”

“You’re asking a lot, cub king.”

“If you choose not to fight beside me, let me ask you this—what do you have left to live for?”

I turned over again, for what felt like the hundredth time. The bedroll felt tight and constricting, as if the blankets were conspiring to suffocate me. My thoughts swirled in a dark current of consciousness that I couldn’t escape.