been cornered by the horde of draugr on the broken fire escape. I remembered how Galin—or Marroc, as I knew him then, back when he was cursed—returned, parting the undead with his makeshift torch.
He had left me in the path of danger, but he’d returned to me. Just like he always did.
I concentrated, trying to remember the word I’d used to reveal his hidden home. Finland? Farthing? Furniture? No, it had been in Old Norse.
I squeezed my eyes shut, as if that might help squeeze the word out of the depths of my mind. Now, I remembered how he’d used the burning femur to scratch the word into the frozen dirt while warding off the bloodthirsty draugr.
It started with an F, then an I, then an N.
He’d protected me. Kept me safe. And he’d smelled of smoke and sage.
There was another N.
I had it—all the letters in a neat little row in my mind.
“Finnask!” I nearly shouted.
At first, I thought nothing had happened. Then, I turned around. Where the remains of his desk had stood was now a neatly ordered workbench. A row of jarred herbs, stacks of vellum and parchment, a big stack of leather-bound spell books.
I crossed to it to get a better look. In the center was a small scrap of paper.
Dear Ali,
I’m sorry, but I haven’t much time before they come back for me. Do not try to help me. It is too dangerous. If you want to save your people, now is the time. Gorm won’t be in his quarters tonight. Sneak in, steal the wand. Use it to free your people. Any sorcerer should be able to help you do it.
Forever yours,
Galin
My heart sped up, my chest unclenching a little. So perhaps there was hope, after all? Maybe all was not lost. Not yet.
I stuffed the note in my pocket and whispered, “Finnask,” again to hide the workbench. He was right. I still had to do whatever I could to save my people, even if we’d lost the Winnowing.
I was turning to leave when I heard voices in the hallway. I glanced at the door and remembered that the lock had been smashed.
Revna’s voice floated through the stone hallway. “The tunnel-rat is missing, but at least Galin is going to get what he deserves. Fratricide. It’s the worst sort of murder, except maybe regicide. And it was practically that, too! The monster was killing anyone with a claim to the throne.”
I dove behind the bed just as the door to Galin’s room swung open and High Elf guards began to pour into the room.
Chapter 36
Galin
I stood bare-chested on the dais, peering over into the Well of Wyrd. They’d taken my coat and shirt. A soldier pointed a wand at my heart. The obsidian lid that normally capped the well had been removed, and I stood inches from the depths. If I made one false move, the hex would slam me back into the void, and I’d plummet all the way to the roots of Yggdrasill.
In the night sky, the moon shone brightly. Nearly full.
High Elves crowded the amphitheater seats on the roof of the Citadel to watch my execution. It wasn’t every day the crown prince was accused of treason. Of murdering his brother. And while I’d planned to destroy my family all along so that I could assume the throne, this hadn’t been part of the plan.
I’d done what I’d had to do to keep Ali safe.
Perhaps there was still time for me to find a way out. Ganglati, at least, had gone quiet in my mind.
A trumpet sounded, and my father strode onto the dais, not far from me.
I peered down at the Well of Wyrd. This was where it had all begun—only, this time, Ali wouldn’t be here. This time, they intended for me to plunge to my death alone.
Gorm looked like he wanted to gut me himself. Even his fear had burned away with rage. He knew he was next. “I should throw you in without a trial.”
“The law says otherwise.”
“Silence,” he snapped, and turned away from me to face the crowd. “I have asked you all to come here to pass judgement. My youngest son, Prince Sune, is dead. My eldest son, Galin, is accused of killing him.”
A hush passed over the crowd. For many of them, this was the first time they’d heard of this.
I looked around the amphitheater. There was no sign of my sister. “Where is the witness?” I asked.
“Revna!” bellowed the king.
His voice echoed in