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“It does not solve the problem that two of these supposed firstborns don’t have a damn bone,” Gunter snapped. “Nor do we, really. We don’t know what awaits us over those ledges.”

“But you’re going, right?” Thane studied me, then Roark. “You’re going to find out?”

It is the only move we have to make. Roark spoke slowly. Fadey is growing stronger and has ways of finding Lyra.

“The wound is healing,” I whispered and showed him my palm. “With Yrsa’s help, I think whatever twisted connection they used to track us is breaking.”

“Well done, Myrdan,” Gunter said, beaming at Yrsa.

The princess shrugged and poked at the fire as if to merely keep her hands busy. “It wasn’t all that impressive, and I’m sure there will be a scar. If I had more strength, it would be healed by now.”

“Do not downplay your ability,” Emi said, a quiver to her tone.

Yrsa held Emi’s stare for a heartbeat, then another, before she shook her head and looked away.

Roark pressed a kiss to the center of my palm. We still must be wary.

“So here is what we know,” Thane said. “Fadey is alive. My mother and that bastard murdered my father, they now control Stonegate, and they did it all to find four missing bones of the Wanderer. Should they be melded to Fadey—wait, can a melder meld themselves?”

I popped a shoulder. “I’ve never tried.”

“There was a rumor that fealty bones would not meld properly if taken from a melder,” Emi said.

“He must believe it can be done with Lyra’s soul specifically,” Yrsa said, avoiding her lover’s eyes. “Or he would not be such a snake in the grass.”

“Agreed.” Thane nodded. “Let us assume it can be done, and he seeks the power of all craft to be lord over the realms of Stìgandr. We know, to him, Lyra is the melder who will give him the power to bind all craft again.”

“What we don’t know,” Brynn said next, “is what awaits us in Unfettered lands, who killed Prince Nivek, and where any of the bones are actually hidden.”

“And Kael,” I said, my voice rough. “We don’t know what they’ve done to Kael.”

Roark lifted my knuckles to his lips and kissed me there.

He said nothing—no false hopes, no assurances that Kael was fine. It was one of the things I loved about the man. He did not shelter me from hard truths, but the blaze in his eyes gave up that he would fight for Kael Darkwin, and if we discovered my fears were true, Roark would kill anyone who’d hurt my brother.

He’d do it slowly.

“Not a promising start,” Gunter said in a grumble.

We were silent for a drawn pause. At long last, Thane clapped his palms over his thighs and stood. “Perhaps not promising, but we do have the first step.”

Roark arched his brow. You’re in, then?

“Of course I’m in, you sod. And you knew I would be, so don’t act surprised. I’m much too curious to merely go sit and wait. Not to mention, if Fadey believes me and Yrsa are part of a fated plan to make him some sort of god, I have a feeling our necks are at risk of getting slit very soon if we return. I’ll take my chances with rogue Dravens.”

Gunter barked a laugh. “I can see why our dear prince did not mind you, Jorvan.”

Thane held up one finger. “That is a question I have. How is it none of us knew the king and queen of Dravenmoor had a second son?”

“It makes a bit of sense, don’t you think?” Yrsa offered. “It kept a target off Roark’s back all his life.”

“Made it simpler to slip into Stonegate as a random dying Draven boy, that’s for certain.” Thane’s grin was sly. “Tell me, how was it taking orders from everyone when you knew you were a damn royal?”

Roark glared at Thane and scratched his nose with his center finger, causing a few tentative chuckles to break free in the circle.

We ought to rest, Roark spoke to the group. The Night Ledges will take us two days to reach.

“Yes.” Thane rubbed his chin. “We should leave at first light and keep to the heavy wood. I’m assuming we’ll take the pass on the Draven side of the border?”