A captive king. A sacred prize. An unstoppable mercenary legion. As Richard the Lionheart rots in a frozen imperial dungeon, the future of England hangs by a thread. Knight-Commander Thurstan Wildblood, on Richard’s orders, is escorting Melinda of Jerusalem – believed to be a living saint – safely to English shores. Of the band that set out from the Holy Land, only Thurstan, Melinda and squire Pandulf survive.Barring their way is the ruthless Order of Siegfried, the infamous Dark Army. These black-clad mercenaries sow terror across Europe on behalf of the power-hungry German emperor, who wants the rumoured saint for political leverage. Thurstan and Pandulf must cut a bloody path through treacherous lands to protect their charge, from the tournaments of Sicily to the war-torn borders of Normandy, before they can sail home. Yet the commander's greatest battle is within, fighting the terrifying conviction that his blood-soaked soul is already claimed by a demon. Will delivering Melinda safely to England offer a path to redemption?An edge-of-your-seat medieval adventure set during the Third Crusade.