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“We’ll take care of the rest.” I called air.

Streams of frost-filled gales coming in off the sea bent to my magic’s will and with a wave of my hand, they slammed into the house. Beside me, the other soldier did the same, though with less power behind his strikes. Still, between the two of us, the boards shook, and the glass that remained in the windows rattled.

“There’s movement inside,” a soldier who claimed to have better-than-average hearing spoke up. “Better hurry.”

“Continue bombarding,” I said to the other soldier. “Let’s blow it down.”

His eyes narrowed in concentration as I pulled more power from my depths.

Snow-saturated wind swirled above me, gathering, making the soldiers shiver as it whisked away their body heat. When I felt as though I couldn’t control any more air, I released the wind.

The first gale struck, and wood flew off the building, slamming into surrounding homes. Another strike. More wood ripped off. I sucked in a breath and gathered strength before hitting the building again. At the fourth gale, the door blew off, two shutters too.

“Hold.” I held out an arm for the other soldier working air to stop. He did, dropping trembling arms to his side.

The other soldiers braced themselves, waiting for the rebels to rush out. For an attack.

“Two ran out the back!” a soldier cried.

“Go!” I wound up to send a fifth gale. Sweat froze on my brow, but I didn’t falter, didn’t hesitate to use mypower to the maximum as I sent a torrent of wind at the shanty.

Wood creaked, and the entire structure, already so unstable, shuddered.

“Assistance,” I ground out, and the other air worker stepped in, giving it his all.

The combined efforts proved enough, and before our eyes, the building began to crumble.

“Be ready!” I gave the order a second before a rebel fled out the front.

A barrage followed, flowing from the building like water as I continued to batter the shanty with wind, ensuring its destruction. We would leave them no place to hide, no alternative route.

Soldier Barisia was red-faced, as was the other air worker, and as other soldiers chased rebels, some felling them quickly, pride welled inside me. We would be victorious. This would be enough to cool Father’s fury.

Mere minutes later, the building collapsed. Screams came from within, and a few more fae ran out the door, some soaking wet. Theyhadtried the tunnel and found themselves in water.

As the structure came down, I released the gales under my control and gripped my sword, preparing to chase. And that’s when I spotted her.

A female faerie with long black hair and blue eyes. The one who had tried to kill my wife.

When she saw me, she pivoted and raced around the downed shack.

I thrust my sword at the fleeing female, alreadyrushing her. The clanging of metal disappeared as I raced after the black-haired female. Down one street of shacks, then another.

Fates, this female is fast.I put on as much speed as I could muster after expending so much magical energy.

She ran like the wind. And when the rebel tossed yet another glance over her shoulder and saw me slowly but surely gaining, she took a chance and leapt into the air.

I had to admire her guts. Flying was faster than running, but with the high winds, it would be difficult and left her with no cover.

My wings spread, and I was about to follow her when a person ran into the center of the street a half-block ahead of me. The flicker of motion distracted me, but that wasn’t the only thing to catch my attention.

His hair was long and white, and his eyes were red, as was his attire. On his breast grew a thorn-choked rose.

Red Assassin.

I stumbled, and in that time, the fae female dropped out of the sky, disappearing some blocks away. My heart sank at the realization that I’d lost her.

And that she wasn’t the only person I’d lost.