Erika had gone to her terrace to look out over the grounds once more. Though night still held the dark, she thought she’d see activity. Campfires glowed in the hills, but she had seen no sign of Neal’s men.

“Before morning,” Erika whispered to herself. “We have to get Barin before morning. She waited for word from the two soldiers she sent to abduct Barin. With Kairos’ directions, her brother shouldn’t be too hard to find.

A slight knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Her servants had all gone to bed at her orders. There was no reason for them to stay awake just because she couldn’t sleep. She cracked the door open and found a page with a sealed envelope.

“Where did this come from?”

“Cho Nisi, we believe.”

“How did it come here?” Erika asked, taking the parchment from the young man.

“A runner from the port, Fairest,” he said.

“How did they get by the soldiers?”

The boy shrugged. “Cephas lives near the docks. He’ll do anything for a coin, just about, and he’s fast. He’s not much bigger than I am, and some people call him a scalawag. Cephas’d do nothing… immoral, but he is sneaky. We’re best friends.”

Erika smiled at the boy. “What’s your name?”

“Donald. But you can call me Donny.”

“Donny, stay close. I may need you.”

“Yes, Fairest.”

Erika dismissed the boy, shut the door, and then strolled back to the patio. Cho Nisi? Her hands trembled in anticipation as she opened the letter. Written in a shaky pen, she would have guessed the author had been under duress.

My dear Noble King Tobias,

I am deeply grateful for your most sincere apology and have taken it to heart. There is nothing more I would like but to resume being allies with you. Our differences have been realized, a debt has been paid, and I hope to visit with you some day.

That day, however, cannot be soon. I regret most wholeheartedly that the entire island of Cho Nisi is under attack. If this letter finds you, it will surprise me, as our port is under the watchful eye of ten thousand skura.

I am thankful for your counsel, however. When I read your letter, the mist of Casda de Moor had already swooped in upon us. After taking heed of your advice, I had the entire population of our island make fires, carry torches, and burn candles. I am pleased to say not one mountain giant ever manifested and the skies are clear of fog, making it easier to see the black demonic cloud of skura. If you have a remedy for them as well, please be quick as I’m not sure how long our drummers can endure.

I wish I could come and help you find your son.

Your friend and ally,

Arell King of Cho Nisi

She read the letter again, focusing on phrases that stood out, that pulled her heartstrings, which ignited the yearning to see him again.

Our differences have been realized, a debt has been paid, and I hope to visit with you someday.

He couldn’t come here without seeing her. Is that what he’s saying? Stop reading what’s not there!

She read the last line, slowly.

I am pleased to say not one mountain giant ever manifested and the skies are clear of fog, making it easier to see the black demonic cloud of skura. If you have a remedy for them as well, please be quick as I’m not sure how long our drummers can endure.

Ten thousand? He must be exaggerating.

Even a thousand skura would destroy that island. The only weapon those people have is the magic crafted through their chants and drumming. What if they did tire?

Erika opened the door to the terrace and looked out into the dark. Arell’s in peril, Barin’s cursed, and her father is dying. Even Rory is near death with a hole in his body.

She breathed in the nocturnal air, absorbing the magnificence of the galaxies. “Why? Why do we suffer so? What can we do to set the world right again?” If a voice had spoken to her from out of the heavens and instructed her on what course to take, she would have bowed in worship and obeyed. But no voice responded to her plea—only her heart pounding faster than it should. “It’s on my shoulders, isn’t it? There isn’t anyone else to fix things, is there? The men I love are falling with no one to save them.”

She tucked the letter in her gambeson pocket. “Love can’t fail them, nor will I fail them. I’m stronger than that. I’ve made mistakes, but my mistakes are not what’s made this world evil. It’s you Devil that makes the world evil and I’m coming for you.” She set her jaw. She can’t keep death away, but life has to be at least as strong as death.

She paced back and forth on the patio, listening for the bird call that would tell her they had captured Barin. She heard horses in the distance. That must be Neal!

She hurried to the door. “Donny,” she called. “Are you still there?”

“Yes.”

“Get your friend Cephas. I need you to deliver a message. It’ll be dangerous, but it’s important.”

The boy’s eyes lit up. “I’ve been waiting for an errand, Fairest. We’re not afraid of danger.”

Erika let the boy back into her room and sat at her vanity, penning a message to Neal. She sealed it and handed it to him.

“Beyond the soldier’s camps there will be horses. Men who just arrived. They’ll be dirty and tired. Those are the men I want you to go to, not the men who have been here.”

“Yes, we’ve seen the men who’ve been here. We’ll find these newcomers.”

“Good. Deliver this to their leader. Commander Neal is his name. Don’t let anyone else read it. He must read it tonight, well before dawn, do you understand?”

“Yes.”

She ruffled his hair, and he ran out the door on quiet feet. He’ll get the job done. After the boy disappeared, Erika removed her armor piece by piece, and set it on the bed. She changed into her chemise and surcoat, brushed her hair, and let it fall over her shoulders. Then slipped out into the hall.

Rory lay quietly in a small room that had nothing more than a chair and an end table beside his bed—a servant’s quarter. Damp and musty, Erika kept the door open to let fresh air in. She stood there, not wanting to bother him, but his eyes were open, staring out the panes of the tiny window. They had wrapped his shoulder in bandages. Sylvia must have changed the dressing recently because it looked clean and tight.

“Thank you.” He whispered as she stood at the doorway. “For saving my life.”

He didn’t move. She imagined it would have been too painful. She came and sat on the end of his bed. “I’m sorry it hurt so bad.”

“Not your fault.”

“We’ll fix things, Rory.”

He smiled. “I know you will. Sure as the sheep give wool, you’ll be fixing things.”

She touched his swollen hand. Too warm. His body fought that wound. It would be a long struggle for him. She wanted him to win that struggle, just like she wanted her father to keep living, and the demons to be rid from Barin, and for Arell to survive the skura.

“I’m sorry things have been going so roughly for you. You don’t deserve any of what’s happened to you.”

He was quiet for a moment, his eyes still fixed on the window.

“They make those panes out of bone, you know. They take an antler from one of those pretty deer that run wild. Flatten it with a hammer till the light comes through. Put them all together in panels like that.”

Erika stared at him until his eyes met hers.

“No one deserves anything, Fairest. Life just happens. One day you’re a deer in the woods, the next day you’re a window letting the light in.”

Erika fought tears.

“You’re the one that shines through the window, Fairest. The light is what you are. No matter what your battle is, you’re going to win.”

She bit her lip and wiped her cheeks with her hand. “Rory, I’m so blessed to have you for a friend.”

“The blessing’s mine, Fairest.”