“Because he feels responsible for her death,” Wigg answered. “It was, after all, their physical act of love that began her slow demise. Had he never lain with her, she might be alive today.”

Shailiha looked back at her brother. For the first time in a long while, it finally seemed that their nation had found peace. Despite everyone’s losses they should all be happy and looking forward to their futures. And they were-except for Tristan. As she again looked into the fire, her mind was taken back to the unimaginable series of events that had brought them all to this remote campsite in the woods.

Wulfgar’s second invasion of Eutracia had been defeated, but at a huge cost. TheEnseterat had attacked Tammerland with two full armies and a fleet of the magical Black Ships that could do wondrous things. The resulting war had cost many Minion troops. It would take an entire generation to replace them.

Much of Tammerland had been ravaged by fire and by the destructive creatures Wulfgar had loosed on the city. Lionel and Geldon had been killed by the assassin Satine, whom Wulfgar had hired to kill the members of the Conclave of the Vigors shortly before the invasion. Serena-Wulfgar’s widow-still lived in the island fortress on the other side of the Sea of Whispers. She alone possessed the fabled Scroll of the Vagaries.

But perhaps the most ominous development was the appearance of the azure pass that had been cut through the Tolenka Mountains by the wounded Orb of the Vigors, as the orb rained its destructive energy down on the land. Tristan had later used the craft to heal the orb and destroy Wulfgar. But the secrets of the pass-and what lay beyond it-remained mysteries. Wulfgar had nearly succeeded in his insane plans. Despite the losses, however, good things had also been born of that struggle.

After Tristan killed Satine, Wigg’s search of her body produced a crumpled parchment. There were thirteen names and matching locations listed on it. Even more interesting was the series of secret code phrases associated with each of them.