Breathing hard, Alar finally reached the ledge above them. His body tensed as he prepared to heave himself over the edge—and then a slender hand snapped down, fingers clasping around his.
A heartbeat later, Mor heaved them both up. Lara swallowed a gasp of surprise. She hadn’t realized the Shee queen was so strong.
Meanwhile, Alar rose to his feet, and Lara slid from his back, her boots hitting the dry grass that covered the rock. He braced his hands on his thighs as he recovered from the climb, before his gaze met Lara’s. His lips then curved.
Her breathing hitched.That smile. She hadn’t seen it since his betrayal. She’d almost forgotten how his cheek dimpled, how his eyes softened. How he looked at her as if she was something precious. Warmth spread across her chest before she caught herself.Don’t go there.Focus.
All three of them then turned their attention to the massive stone slabs that rose before them.
The Shattered Crown formed a tight ring on the outcrop’s summit. Time and weather had left their mark on the stones, blunting and smoothing their edges and covering them with patches of lichen and moss. The circle resembled the weathered crown of a giant. Some of the stones had fallen inward, while others leaned against each other.
Lara’s gaze slid over the ring, her skin prickling. “Can you hear that?” she asked her companions. “They’re humming.”
“Aye,” Mor replied. “It’s coming from the rift in the veil.” She met Lara’s eye then, her head inclining. “Do you see why we needed the powries and trows? We’d never have made it this far without them.”
Lara nodded, reluctantly giving her that.
Mor turned then and moved forward, heading toward the gap between the two nearest stones.
Lara and Alar shared a long look.
He stepped in close. “This is it … are you ready?”
Squaring her shoulders, she straightened her spine. “Aye.”
“We need to be careful in here, Lara. Stay near me.”
Lara’s belly tightened. Slowly, she nodded.
Sweat slid down her back. Her limbs trembled. But none of that would stop her. She was here for an important task, and she’d see it done.
Walking ahead of Alar, she followed Mor into the circle.
Moonlight filtered through the stones, illuminating the crown in a soft silver light. This was an ancient place. Cailean had told her that The Shattered Crown was rumored to be the oldest of all of Albia’s stone circles. Few mortals had venturedhere over the centuries, and she couldn’t help but feel that she was intruding.
However, a heartbeat later, she realized they weren’t alone. Dark shapes flitted between the monoliths. Spirits.
Heart kicking, she moved close to Alar. He’d asked her to, yet it was an instinctive act, all the same.
Familiar voices drew her attention then. Glancing over her shoulder, she made out the shadows of their companions just outside the ring of standing stones. Bree and the others had also reached the top, and they were holding vigil as Mor had instructed. Howls and screeches rang through the night. The wraiths had followed them up here too.
Lara’s gut clenched then. Had the powries and trows also climbed up to the stone circle? And if so, were they still allies?
“No one is to enter,” Mor called. “No matter what you hear. The binding will only take if we three are alone.”
Sweeping her gaze around the perimeter, Lara’s gaze alighted on the space between two stones that leaned drunkenly on each other. Darkness swirled between them.
There it was. The rift.
Smoky shapes wreathed out of the gap, shapes that vaguely resembled men and women with glowing emberlike eyes.
Grimlochs.
Alar acted first, drawing his last handful of salt from the pouch strapped to his thigh and flinging it at the smoke wraiths. They fled, squealing, back through the rift.
But there was no time to draw breath, for a Slew burst forth. Its shrieks echoed off stone as both Alar and Mor unsheathed their weapons, slashing at it. Lara backed up, drawing her own dagger.Gods.How were they supposed to do the binding withspirits erupting like this? Wings beating, the Slew shot upward into the moonlight.
“Take your positions.” Mor took charge now.
