Crown of Vengeance

“Sword and Star defend you, Lord Runacarendalur,” Helecanth answered. She nodded once—as if some question had at last been answered—and turned and walked away.

Nielriel. That is her name. Nielriel.

Runacarendalur pulled the hood of his cloak up to cover as much of his face as he could, and turned Nielriel’s head westward. In the distance lay the forest the army had crossed to reach the place of its destruction—trackless, unmapped. It would conceal him. Where he went then, he did not care. There was nothing left for him in the Fortunate Lands, but the forest would be a good place to hide.

ALSO BY MERCEDES LACKEY AND JAMES MALLORY

THE OBSIDIAN TRILOGY

The Outstretched Shadow

To Light a Candle

When Darkness Falls

THE ENDURING FLAME

The Phoenix Unchained

The Phoenix Endangered

The Phoenix Transformed

ALSO BY JAMES MALLORY

Merlin: The Old Magic

Merlin: The King’s Wizard

Merlin: The End of Magic

TOR BOOKS BY MERCEDES LACKEY

Firebird

Sacred Ground

DIANA TREGARDE NOVELS

Burning Water

Children of the Night

Jinx High

THE HALFBLOOD CHRONICLES

(written with Andre Norton)

The Elvenbane

Elvenblood

Elvenborn

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory have written the Enduring Flame trilogy, which includes the New York Times bestseller The Phoenix Transformed, and the Obsidian Mountain trilogy: The Outstretched Shadow, named Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror by VOYA; To Light a Candle, a USA Today bestseller; and When Darkness Falls, a New York Times bestseller. Lackey lives in Claremore, Oklahoma. Mallory lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.

CROWN OF VENGEANCE

Copyright © 2012 by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

All rights reserved.

Cover art by Todd Lockwood

Map by Jon Lansberg

A Tor Book

Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

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New York, NY 10010

www.tor-forge.com

Tor^® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

First Edition: November 2012