The Executioner's Curse — Scott E. Douglas

Two years ago, Thaddeus Carmichael disappeared. It was to be expected, given his history. A year ago, the sons of Thaddeus and Jaqueline Carmichael became gravely ill. Now, a man who was strapped to a stake and burned to death six years ago arrives in town. He was executed for being a leader of an inquisition that terrorized the land of Lailoya. Although Thaddeus was responsible for this man's execution, he isn't seeking revenge. He's seeking a talisman. The talisman, Thaddeus used to bring down the inquisition has an effect that needs to be stopped. An ancient curse extracts a grave cost from all who benefit from this talisman. The cost to Jaqueline will be the lives of her two boys. The cost to everybody else is potentially as grave. The only way to break the curse is to find Thaddeus and destroy the Talisman, but that won't be easy. Jaqueline is going to need her friends Alexander and Isadore Hangmoor, and their friends to help her. But it's going to take even more than that. It's going to take guile, grit and airships.