Axis walked around the lake to the causeway.

His sword, freshly cleaned, rested in its scabbard against his hip.

The gates of Elcho Falling stood open, men moving in and out on their business, and such was the air of normalcy that Axis thought that the citadel looked much like any castle or fort on a sunny day.

He stopped halfway across the causeway, peering into the water.

Deep below he could see ribbons of light flashing here and there and, just occasionally, the larger figure of a River Angel as it came closer to the surface, peering curiously at the man who looked down upon them.

It was a strange fate for the Skraelings. Axis stood there a long time, watching them, remembering all the hatred he’d harboured for the creatures, all the battles, all the friends lost to their ravenous jaws.

And here they were, flashing about in some mysterious, beauteous form, as if none of the horror and terror they’d caused had ever existed.

As if none of Axis’ friends and countrymen had died.

As if Insharah’s family had not died.

As if most of Isembaard had not died.

Axis straightened eventually, stepping back from the edge. All he could feel for them now was sorrow, both for them and for all the grief they’d left behind them.

He resumed his walk along the causeway, slowing as a column of horsemen emerged from the arched gates.

Georgdi.

The Outlander General halted the column as he reached Axis. “You did well, Axis,” Georgdi said, grinning. “Isaiah is sitting inside fair seething with resentment that you won the glory all by yourself.”

“You’re leaving? Already?”

“I need to see what has happened to the Outlands, Axis . . . and someone has to clean up the mess of wounded and dying Lealfast scattered across it.”

“Did Ishbel make it back inside safely? What has happened with the One? Is Maximilian —”

“All is well Axis. Ishbel is inside, with Maximilian. Ravenna did what was needed. The One has gone.”

“I .” Axis drifted into silence, not knowing what to say. He was glad that Ishbel and Maximilian were safe, that Ravenna had trapped the One, but was saddened to see Georgdi go, at the same time understanding why the man and his men wished to leave.

How many Isembaardians and Escatorians would be streaming out off Elcho Falling within the next day or two?

Axis’ sadness deepened. How many other goodbyes would he need to say over the next few days?

And where, oh stars, would he go?

Georgdi looked down at Axis’ face. He rested a hand on Axis’ shoulder, caught his eyes, gave a nod, then kicked his horse forward.

There was no need to say more.

Georgdi had a deep sense that this was not the last he would see of Axis SunSoar.

Axis stood back and watched in silence as the Outlanders rode past. They took a full hour to ride out of Elcho Falling, and when they were done Axis trudged inside the citadel.

He’d expected there to be someone inside to meet him, but there was not, and so Axis climbed the ladder to the first usable landing on the great staircase, then climbed ever upward.

He went first to his father and Salome’s chamber.

StarDrifter was half sitting up and looking cheerful, if not much better physically.

Axis sat on the bed, taking his father’s hand.

“You have won another great battle,” StarDrifter said. “A new feather for your legend.”

“It was hardly a battle,” Axis replied. “A sickening rout more like.”

He looked over to Salome, cradling StarDancer. “My brother was the one who truly won the day. If he hadn’t realised what could be done about the One .”

Axis drifted off, feeling exhausted physically and emotionally after the events of the day.

“We can rebuild the Icarii race, now,” StarDrifter said. “We have peace, and a home within this lovely citadel . . . and we can rebuild the Icarii.”

Axis had nothing to say. There were so few Icarii left, a handful of thousands perhaps, and so much lost. What to rebuild, and into what?

“You will stay, and help me,” StarDrifter said.

Again Axis had nothing to say. He knew he couldn’t stay. He and his father loved each other, but they made bad companions, and Axis knew the tension would see him leave sooner rather than later.

“Of course,” he said, and bent and kissed his father’s brow.

From his father’s rooms, Axis went to the chamber he had once shared with Inardle. How long had it been since he’d slept in here? The past few weeks had been spent everywhere but at Elcho Falling, and when here, Axis had virtually lived in the command chamber.

It was, nonetheless, no surprise to find Inardle waiting for him.

Axis looked at her as she stood watching him, so beautiful, and felt nothing but sadness, too. He stepped forward, folded her in his arms, and held her close, rocking her a little.

“Eleanon is dead,” he said softly.

“I know,” she said.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know that, too.”

“Everything has gone for you, Inardle.”

“And for you, too.”

They paused, awkwardly. This was the moment where one or both of them should say, But, together, we can forge a new life.

Instead they allowed the moment to draw out, then Axis leaned back, feeling uncomfortable.

“Don’t say it,” Inardle said, resting a finger briefly on his lips.

“What will you do, Inardle? You have no one left.”

No one, she thought. Not even you, Axis,

“I loved you, Axis,” she said, and again he took her in his arms.

“I know,” he whispered.

They stood a long while, saying nothing, just holding each other, then Axis turned and left her.

“It has been a hard journey up to see me,” Maximilian said to Axis when the StarMan emerged into the topmost chamber of Elcho Falling. Above them the roof lay open to the sky, Icarii tumbling through the revolving rings of the citadel’s golden crown, the sun shining, the sky deepest blue.

Ishbel stood to one side, looking lovely in a gown of silver and rose. Axis went to her first, taking her hands and kissing her hard on the mouth.

“I always wanted to do that,” he said.

She smiled. “I always wanted you to.”

He leaned back, regarding her thoughtfully, still holding her hands. “You’re pregnant,” he said. “It is why you needed to transfer out of Elcho Falling with myself and my men.”

Ishbel nodded. “I had only just realised in the past day. The child has barely been conceived.”

She shared a look with Maximilian, and both smiled. “It is another daughter, and this one we hope will be born safely and live her life in peace.”

“What does this do to the succession of Elcho Falling?” Axis said.

“We have not had the time and space to talk this through properly,” Maximilian said, “but . . . it is possible that the succession of Elcho Falling can carry through the female line. Probably will, in fact, as Ishbel enjoys her own rights as Lady of Elcho Falling.”

Axis’ brow furrowed slightly in thought. “So there could be two lines of succession? One, the male line from you, Maxel, trapped in the Land of Nightmares and slowly being corrupted by both Nightmare and the trapped power of Infinity, and now a female line from Ishbel.”

Maximilian gave a small shrug. “It appears so.”

Axis hissed his breath out softly between his teeth. Cods, he was glad it wasn’t he who was going to have to deal with the consequences of this. It had the potential to become a true catastrophe if Ravenna’s son ever escaped from the Land of Nightmares.

“And you, Maxel,” Axis said. “How does it feel, to be stripped of the power of Elcho Falling?”

“Both sad and joyous,” Maximilian said. “Sad, because I can no longer sense the magic of the citadel, but joyous because I feel I have a weight lifted off my shoulders.” He smiled, putting an arm about Ishbel’s shoulders and kissing her softly on the cheek. “And I have a feeling that this was always Ishbel’s mountain, both when it was Serpent’s Nest and as Elcho Falling.”

“You are going to leave, Axis, aren’t you?” Ishbel said.

“I must,” Axis said. “I can’t stay here.”

Maximilian nodded, understanding. “Isaiah waits on a balcony just a few levels down. Waiting to speak with you,” he said.

Isaiah’s hands rested on the balcony railing as he surveyed the lake and the surrounding landscape. He did not look up as Axis joined him.

“You left a right mess out there for my men to clean up,” Isaiah said.

Axis leaned his weight on his forearms on the railing, looking out. Below, squads of Isembaardian soldiers were cleaning away the corpses of the Lealfast.

“Many escaped,” Axis said.

“They won’t be a trouble,” Isaiah said. “Not for many generations yet.”

By which time, Axis thought, they’ll have had the time to breed up and rekindle their anger and resentment. The Skraelings have gone, but in their place . . .

“Not for many generations,” Axis echoed.

Isaiah finally turned to look at him. “What are you going to do?”

Axis returned the look, then his heart lifted and he smiled. “I was hoping you’d tell me that, Isaiah.”