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Daj focused on corralling the men on the staircase. I took the front cracks, then guided more breaks down to the shore. I wanted the guards to feel trapped, like there was no escape.

A dozen guards scrambled against one another, watching in horror as the earth split and rocked. At least in their minds.

“Mira,” my father shouted. “Go. I’ll hold them. Go!”

I took the remaining stairs up the cliffside two at a time. Gavyn reached the top first, sword outstretched, searching for lingering guards.

I had not seen Djur, and I could not find Lena.

Satisfied we were clear, Gavyn turned around. His eyes widened. “Mira! Move! Mira, at your back. No!”

Behind me, a burly warrior raised a heavy sword. I had no time to move before he roared his rage and swung the blade. He aimed it at my skull.

The warrior grunted, wet and abrupt. Eyes wide in stun, the blade slipped from his grip. I scrambled out of his path and watched the man fall face down on the cobbled path.

Dead.

Heavy breaths lifted my shoulders.

“Prince.” Gavyn’s sharp voice broke the stun. “Gods, announce yourself next time.”

Sander, blood dripping off his long lashes, placed one boot between the dead man’s shoulders and ripped a blacksteel sword free from his spine.

My friend lifted his sharp emerald gaze, a sly sort of grin on his mouth. “You’re welcome.”

“Sander.” I let out a sigh. “Where did you come from?”

He used his bloody blade to point toward the back of the walled garden. “There is a switchback pathway over there. Handled my mark easy enough. There were only three men near the boats.”

Sander’s part of the plan was to get rid of the guards at the boat docks where we stole the rowboat during our escape. It was more concealed and could be a place where Djur might plant too many of his warriors out of our sights.

The alver prince used his mesmer magic to twist memories into nightmares. As a victim of more than one nightmarish trick from the man when we were children, when Sander truly warped the mind, it was horrifying.

Often to the point folk would rather greet the gods than go on.

Sander used the back of his arm to wipe sweat from his eyes. “I figured you two could use help finding Heartwalker and…anyone else we might find.” Sander aimed the point of his sword toward the garden wall. “I heard something in the garden. Gates are locked, but I think I’ve got a way in. Care to check there first?”

“Yes. If Eeva has anything to do with this, we might find her in the garden. Go.”

The garden had changed. The flowing gold was withered, like some of the vines from the isle.

A narrow alcove revealed an iron gate positioned over a long alley that led into the garden. Gavyn stepped one boot in a small puddle of water that extended below the iron gate into the garden.

Sander opened his arms to the Bone Lord and grinned. “Our way in.”

Gavyn scoffed. “Always using my voice to your benefit, Prince.”

“I plan to never stop. If you don’t mind, it would be helpful if you’d slip over to the other side and let us in. But be quick, Seeker. We don’t know what’s really behind these walls.”

“You won’t even have time to miss me. Blades out, earth fae.”

“Not a fae,” Sander whispered, but Gavyn’s body already dissolved into droplets, splashing into the puddle.

In mere moments, an iridescent shape took form within the other half of the puddle. Gavyn’s body grew more solid, but his fingers still looked like a murky tide when he unlocked the latch on the gate.

“Well done.” I beamed at the Bone Lord.

“Did you think I would be anything less than impressive, Princess?” Gavyn chuckled and plucked a whalebone knife off his belt.