The dead charged.
For one terrible heartbeat, no one moved.
Then General Atreyu roared.
“FORM UP!”
Steel answered steel.
The thirty soldiers moved with the instinct of men and women who had survived enough battles to understand that hesitation was another name for death. They formed a defensive ring around the royal party, shields raised toward the skeletal figures emerging from the frozen earth.
The first corpse reached them.
Mara met it.
Her sword swept sideways.
Bone shattered.
The creature’s skull spun through the air.
For half a second, Lexander thought that was the end of it.
Then the skull hit the ground.
Its jaw opened.
And it laughed.
“That’s new.”
Lexander muttered.
The bones of the fallen skeleton began pulling themselves together.
Mara stared.
“Oh, come on.”
The skeleton rose.
Mara stabbed it through the chest.
Nothing happened.
She looked toward Lexander.
“Do you have any ideas?”
“I forgot my sword!”
“That wasn’t an answer!”
“I am aware!”
Another skeleton crashed into the line.
A soldier’s shield splintered.
The dead warrior grabbed him by the throat and lifted him from the ground.
Before it could strike, a silver blade tore through its skull.
Queen Io stood behind it.
Her sword gleamed.
“Fire!”
Atreyu turned.
“What?”
“Burn them!”
One of the soldiers immediately produced an oil flask.
Mara grinned.
“Now we’re talking.”
“Wait.”
Lexander said.
Nobody listened.
The flask shattered against the ground.
A soldier thrust a torch forward.
Flames erupted.
The skeletons screamed.
Not with voices.
With something deeper.
A sound that seemed to come from beneath the earth itself.
The forest shook.
Lexander covered his ears.
Lysandra stood beside him, pale but determinedly holding a dagger.
He stared at it.
“Where did you get that?”
She didn’t look away from the battle.
“Mother.”
Lexander turned.
Queen Lisbeth stood several feet away with a sword in one hand.
She smiled.
“I thought she’d need it.”
Lexander looked between them.
“Mother.”
“What?”
“She is fourteen.”
“She knows where the pointy end goes.”
Lysandra looked incredulous, then responded with a cheeky smile.
“I know several places the pointy end goes.”
Lexander stared.
Lisbeth smiled.
“I’m an excellent mother.”
A skeleton lunged toward them.
Lisbeth moved first.
Her sword flashed.
The creature’s arm fell to the ground.
Lysandra stabbed it through the skull.
For a moment, everyone froze.
The skeleton remained motionless.
Lysandra slowly looked at her mother.
“I did it.”
Lisbeth smiled.
“You did.”
The skeleton’s fingers began twitching.
Lysandra jumped backward.
“Nope.”
Lexander grabbed her by the back of her cloak and pulled her farther away.
“I thought you knew where the pointy end goes.”
“I do!”
“It didn’t work!”
“It would have if they were normal!”
The skeleton rose again.
Then Mara’s sword smashed through its spine.
“Less talking.”
Mara ordered.
“More killing.”
Lexander sighed.
“That’s always your solution.”
“It usually works.”
Another corpse emerged from the earth.
Then another.
And another.
Lexander’s humor finally disappeared.
“There are too many.”
Atreyu heard him.
“I know.”
The General turned toward Io.
“We need to retreat!”
Io stood perfectly still.
Her sword hung at her side.
She wasn’t watching the dead.
She was staring at the narrow path ahead.
Lexander followed her gaze.
“What is it?”
Io whispered.
“They aren’t trying to kill us.”
Mara cut another skeleton down.
“Could’ve fooled me!”
Io ignored her.
“They’re pushing us.”
Atreyu frowned.
“Where?”
Io lifted her sword.
Toward the path.
The same path where she had claimed to die.
And where she had been buried.
Lexander stared at her.
“You think they’re herding us?”
“Yes.”
“That is somehow worse.”
Io stepped forward.
Immediately, three skeletons moved to intercept her.
She swung.
The first lost its head.
The second lost an arm.
The third—
Stopped.
Io froze.
The skeletal warrior stood before her.
Unlike the others, it wore a helmet.
Its armor was almost entirely buried beneath rust.
A symbol was carved into its breastplate.
Seven connected circles.
Io’s face went white.
The creature slowly lowered its weapon.
Everyone watched.
Then it knelt.
The forest became silent.
The remaining dead stopped moving.
Lexander stared.
Lysandra whispered.
“That’s a good sign.”
The kneeling skeleton lifted its empty gaze toward Io.
Then, with a voice like stones grinding together, it spoke.
“THE WIDOW HAS RETURNED.”
Io stopped breathing.
Lexander looked at her.
“What did it call you?”
The skeleton turned.
Its glowing eyes fixed on him.
“THE LOST ONE.”
A cold wind passed through the trees.
Lysandra moved closer to her brother.
Lexander didn’t blame her.
He wanted to do the same thing.
The creature slowly stood.
Then it pointed down the path.
“COME.”
Mara immediately raised her sword.
“No.”
The skeleton turned toward her.
Mara pointed at it.
“I don’t take directions from corpses.”
The dead warrior stared.
Mara stared back.
Lexander leaned toward Lysandra.
“Do you think it understands her?”
“I think it wants to kill her.”
“That’s fair.”
Io stepped toward the path.
Atreyu grabbed her arm.
“Your Majesty.”
Io looked at him.
“We don’t know where it is taking us.”
“No.”
Atreyu’s grip tightened.
“And yet you intend to follow it?”
Io glanced toward Lexander.
Then toward the seven circles carved into the dead warrior’s armor.
“Yes.”
Atreyu stared at her.
Then released her.
“Of course you do.”
The General looked toward the soldiers.
“Defensive formation.”
Mara sighed.
“Fine.”
The skeleton began walking.
Io followed.
Everyone else reluctantly followed Io.
Lexander fell into step beside her.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Finally—
“Widow?”
Io’s jaw tightened.
Lexander looked at her.
“That’s what it called you.”
“I heard.”
“What does it mean?”
Io remained silent.
Lexander waited.
“Io.”
“I don’t know.”
He frowned.
“That was almost convincing.”
She glanced at him.
“I said I don’t know.”
“You’re hiding something.”
“So are you.”
Lexander froze.
Io continued walking.
“What?”
“You’ve been avoiding mirrors.”
Lysandra immediately turned around.
“I KNEW IT!”
Lexander pointed at her.
“Stay out of this.”
“No.”
Io stopped walking.
The skeleton continued ahead.
Everyone else stopped.
Io folded her arms.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Lexander.”
“I was tired.”
“What happened?”
Lexander looked toward the soldiers.
Atreyu was watching.
So was Mara.
So was his mother.
Lysandra looked almost excited.
He sighed.
“My reflection smiled.”
Silence.
Mara blinked.
“What?”
“Before I did.”
Nobody spoke.
Then Mara looked at Atreyu.
“Can we go home?”
Atreyu nodded.
“A wonderful idea.”
Io ignored them.
“When?”
“Before we left.”
“Where?”
“My chambers.”
“Did anyone else see it?”
“My mother said something strange afterward.”
Lisbeth looked toward him.
“What did I say?”
Lexander hesitated.
Lisbeth’s expression hardened.
“What?”
“You said…”
He swallowed.
“‘He always comes back.’”
Io went completely still.
The skeleton stopped walking.
Everyone noticed.
It slowly turned around.
Its pale eyes burned brighter.
“THE FIRST REMEMBERS.”
Io whispered.
“No.”
Lexander looked at her.
“What does that mean?”
The skeleton began walking toward them.
Mara raised her sword.
Atreyu stepped forward.
Io lifted a hand.
“Wait.”
The creature stopped before Lisbeth.
Queen Lisbeth stood perfectly still.
She looked at the skeleton.
The skeleton looked at her.
Then—
“You are not supposed to be here.”
Lisbeth whispered.
Everyone stared.
Lexander’s heart stopped.
His mother looked confused.
“What?”
The skeleton leaned closer.
“YOU REMEMBER.”
“No.”
Lisbeth stepped backward.
Lexander moved between them.
The skeleton’s gaze shifted toward him.
“NOT YET.”
Lexander’s voice became cold.
“Stay away from her.”
The creature tilted its skull.
Then something changed.
For the first time—
It seemed amused.
“THE LOST ONE PROTECTS THE FIRST.”
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