“You thought you could walk right into Az-ca, take over where you left off centuries ago, and everybody would just fall in with your plans. Is that it?” “I didn’t count on her—never saw her in all my divinations.” He meant Sherra. An unseeable. He’d divined Thorn II, just not his Queen and partner. “So. You wanted to take over after practically destroying their current King—who was a very good King, and before that, an excellent Commander of the army. That’s a hell of a way to get Az-ca’s population to adore you, isn’t it?” “I can offer them peace,” he began. “Except you can’t. Kaakos is still alive, remember, and he’ll be coming for you—of that I have no doubt. You know it, too, and you can’t take him on without Az-ca’s army at your back.” “I thought we could work together—Thorn II and I. That he’d see the reason in it after a while.” “And, as he’s currently powerless, what choice would he have?” I sniped. “Except he has the strongest Queen you’ve ever seen at his side, and she certainly won’t fall for that bullshit.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The present King of Az-ca has been rendered powerless through an unsuspected coup, and is overcome with despair. Kaakos has escaped death, but is forced to leave Ny-nes. Now, his sole focus is revenge. Az-ca’s citizens have fallen victim to the enemy’s lies, and civil war threatens to split the country. Sherra is forced to divide her attention between searching for the enemy, dealing with traitors and struggling with the King’s misery and desolation. When the blood spell that rendered Kerok powerless takes a turn even its maker didn’t expect, only her dreamwalker, with help from another, can hope to turn the tide…