During the night, Ayla had a strange dream. Rhobart, Milton, Kerra, the Paladins, her, and a few more people she did not recognize were in a building made of stone. The building was mostly in ruins, but four stone pedestals stood in the middle of the floor. Ayla, Rhobart, Milton, and Droyn placed four objects on the pedestals. Moments later, a portal opened, and they entered it. The portal took them inside what appeared to be a very tall cave, but there was no way of getting out of it. Close to them was a path winding up along the wall. They walked on the path until they reached the upper part of the cave. A temple was built inside the wall. Rhobart and the Paladins unsheathed their swords while Milton took out a magic rune. They entered the temple. Magic crystals illuminated the chamber. Eight stone sentinels sat next to two big stone doors, four to the left and four to the right. On the stone doors, seven symbols were carved. Ayla touched one of them, and the stone sentinels came t

Rhobart slept peacefully beside Ayla, his left hand around her waist, his face buried in her hair, but she... she was still awake, thinking about the twins. She felt sorry for the twins, for she knew how big their desire was to find their n’alxa. And then there were Rania and Sylvar. What if Sylvar could not get past the fact that Rania had been with the twins? A pale moon rose above Nordmar. O’neltxero—The Longest Night in the Year—will be in five days during the next Full Moon. Feasts were to be held in the village and the monastery. She and Rhobart would celebrate not only the beginning of a new year but also fourteen years since they had their alxa-lotx ceremony. After the O’neltxero, Rhobart wanted to return to the Warrior Clan and finish preparations for the war. Ayla had yet to find the forgotten book or anything about Uzriel or the prophecy. Knowing what was at stake, Ayla got out of bed, dressed silently, put on a black cloak that Rhobart had purchased for her when they wer

“What about her?” Ayla asked. Eude pulled out an empty bottle from the sack. “Fine. One bottle for her only if she wants it.” “You are the best princess ever,” Eude praised Ayla. “And Rhobart, the best king. After all, he nursed you back to health,” Hudde said. “You mean Milton?” Ayla asked, confused. The twins seemed amused by her words. Was she wrong? But if it hadn’t been Milton who stayed by her side, then who? Could it be...? “You still think Milton was the one that wiped your forehead when your fever was too high or cleaned and changed your clothes when you would vomit because you couldn’t keep down even a spoon of soup?” Eude asked. Hudde snorted. “Do you think Rhobart would have permitted another man to hold you in his arms all night long? Or to wash your body covered in sweat?” Why hadn’t Rhobart told her the truth? ‘Thank you for being by my side while I was sick. I don’t remember anything about that time,’ she had said to Rhobart. When she had said that to Rhobar

Ayla took out her dagger. The Paladins raised their swords and moved lightning fast as if they were born to fight evil. There was no fear on their faces as they attacked the undead Orc. The undead Orc lifted his big fists and aimed for Hudde. The Paladin dodged them, but the Undead Orc was faster than the skeletons, and he swung his fists once more, hitting Hudde in the ribs and sending him into the wall behind him. “Are you alright?” Eude asked as he attacked the creature from behind. “My ribs feel as if they are on fire, and I am sure at least two of them are broken, but other than that, I am great,” Hudde said sarcastically. Eude snorted. “Always the jester.” A cursed axe appeared in the undead Orc’s hand, and he aimed for Hudde’s neck. Ayla could not just let Hudde die. She threw the dagger at the undead Orc at the same time as Hudde leaped to his side. Ayla’s dagger pierced the creature’s upper arm. Eude attempted to decapitate the Undead Orc, but the creature turned around,

“Oh, you thought I was going to let the twins off the hook when it was their responsibility, their duty, to make sure you don’t venture into some old tunnel? Did you ever stop to think that maybe traps were inside it?” Ayla bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “Of course not! What did you even expect to find there?” She shrugged. “So you went inside because of curiosity?” Rhobart’s voice was starting to get louder, catching the attention of some Fire Mages. “Rhobart,” Milton tried to intervene. “Stay out of this,” Rhobart snapped at Milton. He turned his attention back to Ayla. “You put not only yourself in danger, but Hudde and Eude as well. And not to talk about our child.” “I am not pregnant!” Ayla told him for the hundredth time. Rhobart seemed to ignore her as he kept talking. “If you are acting like this now, what will you do during the war when warriors are punished for their disobedience?” he snarled. Ayla strengthened her back. “We are not at war, and even if we we