Vale of the Gods Read online

  Books by A.E. Rayne

  Winter’s Fury (Book 1)

  The Burning Sea (Book 2)

  Night of the Shadow Moon (Book 3)

  Hallow Wood (Book 4)

  The Raven’s Warning (Book 5)

  Vale of the Gods (Book 6)

  The Furyck Saga (Books 1-3)

  Vale of the Gods

  The Furyck Saga - Book 6

  A.E. Rayne

  Contents

  Map

  Previously…

  Prologue

  I. Walls

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  II. Weapons

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  III. Travellers

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  IV. Allies

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  V. Enemies

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  VI. Sacrifice

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Three Years Later

  What Comes Next?

  The Characters

  About the Author

  This book is dedicated to you, dear reader.

  Thank you so much for coming on this

  epic journey with me.

  Previously…

  Jael, Thorgils, and Aleksander had escaped from Harstad with the healer, Astrid, amidst a dragur attack, and after the loss of Jael’s baby. They made it back to Andala, only to suffer another assault from the dragur, who were finally defeated; turned to ash by the combined effort of sea-fire, and Edela and Eydis, who found a symbol in the Book of Aurea to end them.

  With the dragur gone, Jael quickly turned her attention to meeting Raymon Vandaal to discuss a combined assault on Draguta. Despite a concerted effort by his wife, Getta, to dissuade him, Raymon offered his help to Jael. Getta was furious and turned to the comfort of her old lover, Garren Maas. Garren, having discovered that Raymon was Ranuf Furyck’s son, tried to overthrow his king on their way back to Ollsvik. Jael had a dream and was led by the raven, Fyr, to stop Garren before he could kill Raymon, though she was not in time to prevent Raymon’s mother from being murdered.

  In Hest, Jaeger was panicking.

  He thought they had killed Draguta, but she had disappeared, and the threat of her return hung over the castle like a storm cloud. With Morana unable to speak or even move on her own, he had no one to protect him, and though he was hopeful that Meena could read the Book of Darkness, he knew that she was unlikely to offer any resistance to someone of Draguta’s ability.

  Draguta, meanwhile, had hidden in a small village where she summoned Eadmund to her, knowing that his presence would encourage Evaine to help her remove the Book of Darkness from Jaeger’s clutches. Once Evaine had escaped Hest with what she believed to be the book, Draguta was able to bind Jaeger to her with the items Evaine had retrieved from the castle.

  Now freely able to return to Hest, Draguta began putting her plans in place. She found Rollo, the most skilled warrior in Flane, who she tasked with training Eadmund. Hard. Harder than he’d ever been trained before, knowing that one day soon she would use him to fight off her arch-enemy, Jael Furyck. Evaine wasn’t happy, for despite being reunited with Eadmund for the first time since her escape from Oss, she could tell that he was now bound to Draguta as well. And that split loyalty did not favour her, as she discovered when Eadmund killed her father and then threatened to kill her.

  In Andala, Edela was being kept busy, first finding a way to undo Briggit Halvardar’s sickness curse, and then working to break Evaine’s spell on Eadmund. But, having cut the rope binding Eadmund to Evaine, Edela found another rope she couldn’t touch at all.

  Growing impatient with Morana’s slow recovery, Jaeger took Else’s advice to bring in Dragmall, Hest’s volka. Dragmall suggested that Morana had been cursed, and though he was reluctant to help her, he realised that to keep Else and Meena safe from Draguta, he needed to try.

  Draguta’s attention wandered to Helsabor and Briggit Halvardar, though she still had one eye on Jael Furyck and the Book of Aurea. In the end, she sent Rollo and a crew of men to Andala. They arrived at the fort pretending to be traders, waiting for the cover of Draguta’s next attack, so they could abduct Eadmund’s son, Sigmund, and Amma Furyck; Amma who was pregnant and worried that Jaeger was the father.

  As Draguta’s giant barsk dogs ravaged Andala, Runa was killed, and Gisila was seriously wounded, and the Andalans were left devastated, with Jael and her shellshocked men trying to pick up the pieces before they turned their attention to Hest.

  Hest and Draguta and the Book of Darkness and Eadmund.

  Where everything would end.

  Soon.

  Prologue

  ‘You won’t come back.’

  Jael didn’t know the voice.

  She frowned. In the darkness, it was hard to get her bearings.

  But he was there. Somewhere.

  His voice, a warning.

  She shivered, turning away from the threat that she could feel; the unfamiliar sense of fear.

  Her breathing was panicked now, her body starting to shake, her bottom lip quivering.

  She didn’t want him to see.

  If he saw...

  Her chest rose and fell in time to her thundering heart.

  ‘You won’t come back from this. Not now.’

  Jael glared up at him. He was taller than her.

  Stronger.

  ‘You don’t know me,’ she insisted, cross with the weak tremble in her voice.

  Where was Aleksander?

  Panic.

  She didn’t look around, her heart thudding louder. Faster.

  ‘You think your father will save you, little girl?’ he sneered. ‘Little bitch. He can’t save you. No one can save you now, Jael.’

  Jael hated Ronal Killi. But that wasn’t Ronal’s voice.

  Ronal was standing over her, his friends behind him – his bigger, older friends – and she was lying on her back, a broken sword in one hand, blood running into her mouth from where he’d punched her, cutting her lip.

  They were in the forest.

  He had followed her.

  Jael was mad that she hadn’t heard him.

  She’d beaten him in front of his father, humiliated him in the training ring again and again, and he’d waited to take his revenge. He’d waited for weeks, eyeing her slyly. Watching her. Whispering to his friends about her.

  Leering at her.

  And
now?

  The forest was so quiet. Jael couldn’t even hear Tig, though he was nearby, somewhere, she knew. She hoped Ronal wouldn’t hurt him.

  And then Ronal lunged, wrapping his rough hands around her throat. Jael jerked her head from side to side, slippery pine needles in her hair, the crunch of leaves in her ears. Ronal was squeezing her throat, laughing, leaning over her.

  Or was he?

  Shadows masked his pudgy face.

  ‘I have you now, little bitch. You’re mine, and I will end you.’ He laughed.

  Someone laughed.

  ‘You thought you could stop me? You? Ha! You don’t know me. Don’t know what you’re up against. And you won’t. Not until it’s too late, little bitch.’

  ‘Jael!’

  She could see Ronal’s eyes now as he swung his head in the direction of the trees, his friends urging him to hurry.

  ‘I’ll get you, Jael,’ Ronal hissed, spitting in her face before spinning away. ‘I’ll get you.’

  And then boots running, and suddenly Aleksander was there.

  ‘Jael?’ Gripping her hand, he pulled her up, into his arms. ‘What did they do to you? Are you alright?’

  Jael shook her head, confused. ‘What are you doing here?’ She was panting, struggling to catch her breath.

  Not in the forest anymore.

  Aleksander saw the sheen of sweat on her brow, her dark hair wet on her face, her eyes unable to focus on his. He gripped her hand, feeling it tremble. ‘You were screaming. Having a nightmare.’

  It was dark in the chamber, but Jael could see the silhouette of her brother in the doorway; Gant too. ‘I’m fine.’ She shook her head, wanting to be alone. ‘I’m fine. Go back to bed.’ And tugging her hand away, she waved it at them. ‘Just a bad dream.’

  Nodding their sleepy heads, Gant and Axl disappeared into the corridor.

  Aleksander didn’t move.

  The lamp beside the bed flickered, highlighting the deep frown between her eyebrows.

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘I don’t know. It was about Ronal. That time he attacked me in the forest.’

  Aleksander frowned just as deeply, confused. ‘Why him?’

  Jael rubbed her eyes, trying to think. ‘Something he said that day. I keep hearing it. The same words.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You won’t come back. He said that over and over. He wanted to kill me. I heard him telling his friends that he was going to.’ She shivered.

  Aleksander squeezed Jael’s hand, trying to get her to focus on him. ‘You killed Ronal.’

  ‘Ronal was a boy,’ she snarled, eyes sweeping the furs where a disturbed Vella was trying to make herself comfortable. ‘A nothing boy.’ She stopped, staring into Aleksander’s eyes again. ‘A boy. And I had a sword. And I killed him with it. And nobody’s life was in danger. Nobody’s but mine.’

  Aleksander’s shoulders relaxed, and he smiled, understanding now. ‘And you did it alone. But you’re not going to be going to Hest alone, are you? You’re a queen now. A queen with armies from Brekka and Iskavall and the Slave Islands. Alekkans too. You’re not alone, Jael.’

  ‘No, I’m not,’ Jael mumbled, wriggling away from him, feeling a cold draft slip under the door. She pulled the fur away from Vella, over her arms. ‘But it’s not enough. Armies and men aren’t enough, are they? Not for who we’re going to face. What we’re going to face.’ She lowered her voice. ‘I’m going to lead those men to slaughter. Take them away from families who’ll never see them again. I’m going to do that.’

  ‘What choice do you have? Staying here would see them slaughtered with their families. You have to go. We have to go. We all do.’

  Jael could feel her wedding band, cold against her finger, listening to the echo of that voice in her head.

  Aleksander was right, she knew.

  But perhaps, so was he?

  ‘You won’t come back,’ he threatened again. ‘I won’t let you.’

  I

  Walls

  1

  Eadmund threw back the fur and sighed.

  He couldn’t sleep. His dreams were torturing him, leaving him tired and confused. He saw Evaine, naked, writhing on the bed before him; Morac dying on the floor, his mouth wrenched open, wine in his beard. He heard the hungry wail of his son, the agony of Rollo as Jael killed him, and Draguta’s voice loudest of all. It was an urgent echo in his mind and body, never letting him go.

  Defeat Helsabor with Jaeger.

  Bring back Briggit Halvardar and her Followers.

  And then what?

  Eadmund rolled onto his side, hearing the angry creak of his narrow cot. Something was nagging at him. Like a word hanging near the tip of his tongue; a thought almost formed. He couldn’t grasp it, couldn’t see it, but it was there. Or in Helsabor.

  But what?

  The tent flap was dragged open as his determined steward bustled inside. Berrick. Draguta had insisted that he accompany Eadmund to Helsabor. A king, she had barked, poking a stern finger at him, could not act like a common man. A king must be treated like a king, especially in front of the men that king wished to follow him into battle.

  So now Eadmund had Berrick, a slightly-built, snivelly sort of man who shuffled about in a constant state of prickly irritation. A man who insisted upon waking his king while it was still dark.

  ‘You’re awake.’ It wasn’t a question.

  ‘It appears that I am.’ Eadmund coughed, taking the silver goblet Berrick offered him as he struggled into a sitting position, a sharp pain searing through his right eye. For some reason, it reminded him of Jael, and he almost smiled.

  Then, imagining Draguta’s disapproving face, he frowned.

  ‘King Jaeger is outside, talking with Gunter and Berger. Going over plans.’

  Berrick liked to gossip. He reminded Eadmund of Morac: a slippery-tongued old grumbler, always manoeuvering himself into the position that would most benefit him.

  ‘Well, then,’ Eadmund sighed, clearing his throat again and handing back the empty goblet. ‘I’d better join them.’ His shoulders tightened into fist-sized knots as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, watching Berrick lay out his armour.

  Dropping his head to his hands, Eadmund closed his eyes, not wanting to think about Draguta or Jael, or Jaeger most of all. He tried to think of his son instead, knowing that Sigmund would be with Draguta soon and if he didn’t do what she wanted...

  Standing with a groan, Eadmund reached for his trousers, unable to raise a smile.

  ‘Aarrghh!’ Jael dropped onto her backside with a plop, gritting her teeth, not enjoying the cocky look in Karsten’s blue eye. ‘Fuck!’ She threw herself at his legs, gripping and twisting, toppling him to the ground. ‘You fuck!’

  Thorgils burst out laughing at the surprised look on Karsten’s face just before it slammed into the dirt; Jael over the top of him now, hauling him onto his back, her forearm jammed into his throat.

  Berard joined in. ‘Karsten’s not going to take that well!’

  Thorgils slapped him on the back. ‘You’re right about that.’ And just as he said it, Karsten twisted his legs around Jael’s, trying to flip her over. ‘Though I’ve a feeling Jael’s not going to let him do much about it.’

  Berard’s eyes widened as Karsten and Jael grappled, arms flailing like battling worms; blinking as Jael chopped Karsten in the throat with the side of her hand; watching as his brother collapsed back onto the ground again.

  Thorgils roared with laughter as Karsten rolled, struggling onto his knees, gagging, trying to breathe. Jael threw herself onto his back, arms around his throat, securing him, kneeing him in the hip, forcing him down onto the ground.

  Karsten couldn’t breathe as he lay there, dirt in his eye, in his mouth, his neck in Jael’s vice-like grip, feeling her arms tighten. He couldn’t move her. He tried, and despite being certain that he was stronger than the Queen of Oss, he couldn’t break her hold. Eventually, reaching out a hand, he tapped the gr
ound.

  Jael released her arms, standing up, watching as Karsten rolled over.

  He blinked into the sunshine, trying to see the angry creature who towered over him without a hint of humour in her eyes. Two eyes. Green and bright and mean. Two eyes, not like him who lay in the dirt with the one eye she had left him after taking the other.

  Jael’s face softened as she held out a hand, pulling him to his feet.

  ‘That wasn’t quite the beating I had in mind,’ Karsten rasped, bending over, hands on thighs. He shook his head, sweat flying from his red face. ‘Not at all.’

  Jael smiled, picking up her sword. ‘Well, don’t give up. I’m sure you’ll catch me on a bad day.’ And walking towards the railings, trying to suck in a breath, she could almost see the look on Karsten’s face as he muttered irritably behind her.

  ‘Not bad,’ Thorgils admitted with a raised eyebrow. ‘You might be able to defeat Jaeger with that.’