As for Maisie…she too had not been seen since the death of the Old One. They had allowed her to venture alone back into the tunnels, to seek out the Tangata that had saved them, but…the pair had never re-emerged. By the time the party had gone looking for them, both had vanished—along with the body of the Old One.
Erika feared for her friend, but Maisie had trusted the Tangata…had perhaps felt more than that. Erika could only hope Maisie had found discovered somewhere, had found joy in the peace of the wilderness, in companionship with Adonis.
As for herself…Erika shivered, looking out across the broad expanse of the Illmoor, at the swirling mists. To the north, she had built a life for herself, had had status and authority as the Queen’s Archivist. But she was no longer that woman consumed with advancement, obsessed with power. Erika might still wear the gauntlet of her ancestors, but in the darkness beneath the earth, faced with the madness of the Old One, she had finally set aside the follies of her past, and become a queen in truth.
So looking out across the Illmoor, Erika smiled, bidding one last farewell to the woman she had been, to the Queen’s Archivist…
…and turned to lead her people forward into the wilds of Calafe.
* * *
Adonis moved carefully through the trees, treading softly, creeping closer as the deer lowered its head to tear a clump of clover from the ground. Its head came back up as it chewed and he froze in place, watching, waiting. He was almost close enough now, just one more second…
…the deer lowered its head again, and silently Adonis darted forward, crossing the dozen yards in a heartbeat. Leaping into the air, he slammed into the creatures back with all the power of the Tangata, and felt a satisfying crack as the beast’s spine snapped at the impact.
The deer struck the ground with a thump as Adonis stood over it, panting softly, his breath fogging in the dawn air. After a moment, he looked around, checking for wolves or other predators that might be interested in his meal, before returning his attention to the fawn. Slinging the dead beast over his shoulder as though it weighed no more than a sack of feathers, he set off through the forest.
Maisie had a fire burning in the cave when he returned, and a smile touched her face at the sight of him. Rising, she crossed the stone floor and greeted him with a kiss, before wrinkling her nose and gesturing to the carcass he carried.
“Did you have to kill Bambi?”
Adonis wrinkled his brow to show his confusion, and Maisie laughed, gesturing with a hand to the depths of the cave, where they were preparing a larder for the winter.
“Don’t worry,” she explained as he wandered back to lay out the carcass for butchering. “It’s just a story from our children’s tales. I’m glad we won’t be running out of meat when the snows arrive.”
Grunting his agreement, Adonis returned to the fire and embraced the woman. She drew him into her arms in response, her brown eyes lifting to meet his, lips parting to draw him in. They kissed, and he felt the rush of blood pounding in his ears, the burning in his veins…
“Waaaah!”
Flinching, the pair broke apart as a shrill cry echoed from the stone walls. It wasn’t long before a second voice joined the chorus of screams, followed by a third. Cursing, they crossed to where they’d stacked a pile of furs high near the fire. Leaning down, Maisie lifted a baby in each hand, while Adonis took the third. They stood together like that for a while, rocking the children gently in their arms.
“You know, Adonis,” Maisie said as the cries of the children slowly faded. A smile touched her lips as she looked up from her burden. “They have your eyes.”
* * *
Lukys strode along the docks of Mildeth, Sophia at his side, the last of the Perfugian forces marching around them. Two weeks had passed since the end of the war and every one of his people were excited to return home, to see again the family and friends they had left behind, to enjoy the peace they had own.
They would have left sooner, but these few regiments had remained in Mildeth with their Sovereigns, aiding the city with its injured, helping bring food to the displaced, and ensuring Zayaan and the other nobles would cope with managing the kingdom once they left.
Though in truth, Zayaan probably had more experience in that regard than either of the Sovereigns. Their presence had mostly been to guarantee the stability of the city. From now on, Flumeer would be ruled by a council selected by the people, though the first elections would not be for another year, once the damages from the war had been repaired. Until then, Zayaan and the others who had led the city through the invasion would continue.
But from today, that would no longer be Lukys’s or Sophia’s problem. Today they would finally return to Perfugia to lead their own people. Despite all they had done, the thought still stirred doubts in the backs of their mind, but they would not shirk their duties. Already they had lingered here too long.
Ahead, Dale and the rest of the Sovereign guard led the way up the gangplank to their ship, while on the docks, Lukys and Sophia turned to bid their goodbyes to Zayaan. The man had insisted on an honour guard to see them off, after all they had done for the kingdom. They lined the docks around them, some hundred knights garbed all in golden armour.
A smile touched Lukys’s lips as he met the eyes of the old man. Despite their rough start, the man had proven surprisingly flexible in his world view, and
