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The moment I see the first body lying bloodied on the ground, I know Greythorne and his collaborators are gone.

Aaran, Barra, the prince and I push further into the gloom of the dungeons and find all six of the jailers dead and the head of the chief jailer impaled on a spear that has been driven into the dungeon floor.

This is alarming enough in itself, but what really catches my attention and gives me cause for concern is a strange symbol seared into his forehead.

It consists of a circle with a half circle sitting on top of it and what looks like an arrow or spear protruding from the bottom left side.

I’ve never seen such a symbol before, but it causes a ripple of fear to run through me and I feel a chill in my blood.

A dark energy radiates from it, and an image of a powerful, horned beast brandishing a spear and glaring at me with his fathomless eyes flashes into my mind.

The feeling of dread I’ve had since leaving my chamber intensifies and a wave of nausea moves through me.

Aaran quickly peers into the shadows of each of the cells to see if any prisoners remain and Barra and the prince check to see if any of the jailers are still breathing.

They aren’t, and the prince clenches his fists and utters a curse in Bawnish before noticing how I am transfixed by the head on the spear.

“Elinor,” he asks, “what is it? What causes you to pay such attention to the unfortunate soul’s head?”

I can’t find the appropriate words to reply and simply point to the poor man’s forehead. By this time the prince and Barra are standing beside me.

“By the gods,” the prince whispers as a look of concern passes between him and Barra. I’m about to ask what it means when Aaran approaches and, spotting the symbol, declares, “We must get Queen Elinor out of here now.”

He moves behind me and places his hands on my shoulders.

“Come, My Queen,” he commands, “we need to get you to safety.” The prince and Barra raise their swords and fall into a tight guard formation in front of me.

They all start walking but my mind and feet haven’t caught up with their sense of danger and I don’t move.

This results in me feeling the hard planes of Aaran’s body along my own as he collides with me.

His arm immediately comes around me to prevent me from falling.

“Elinor,” he whispers into my ear, “we must go now.” His voice is rough with frustration. The prince and Barra turn to see what’s happening.

“Elinor, what is it?” the prince demands. “We must go now. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that if Aaran says there is a threat, then it’s time to go.” He extends his hand for me to take it.

“What does the symbol mean?” I ask, my voice shaky but determined.

The prince’s hand falls away as he lets out a resigned sigh. He knows I’m not going anywhere until I know what that symbol represents.

“We know it as the symbol of Jawal, you probably have a different name for it here, possibly the symbol of the Dark Lord. It represents evil and power and its presence here is meant as a warning.” He pauses and extends his hand to me again.

“It looks like Greythorne and his shit-eating friends have a powerful ally and might be part of a bigger threat. So, please, take my hand, Elinor, and let us get you to safety.”

I place my hand in his and the four of us move swiftly back to my chambers.