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Our retreat may have been planned, but it was also very much necessary. The battle continued to rage, only now, Regner also had the hags—those huge, deadly creatures who lumbered toward us.

My blood turned thick and slow, my limbs suddenly heavy.

But Lorian was surveying those hags from where he stood in front of the barricade, Prisca’s hand in his. Andsince I was watching him, I saw his mouth curve.

I pivoted back to the hags just in time to see them turn. Stone hands crashed into flesh and bone as they rampaged through Regner’s right flank.

Human soldiers were fleeing by the thousands, giving us a straight path to the Eprothan king. Meanwhile, Daharak’s pirates were pouring onto the beach, sprinting toward our own army.

This was it.

“Now!” Prisca yelled.

Tor stood near the wooden barrier, surrounded by Rekja, Herne, and Demos. His face was stark white, but he lifted his head, aiming his power straight at Regner’s ward. The ward glowed white in response, and a tiny crack appeared.

Regner smiled. With a wave of his hand, his ward reformed and the crack disappeared.

Tor aimed again and again. Nausea rose, thick in my throat, as Regner countered each time.

We’d hoped to have a chance without attempting to break an artifact gifted from the gods.

Next to me, Prisca let out a string of curses, lifting a trowth stone close to her mouth. “Tell everyone who can be spared to use whatever magic they have left to hit any generals surrounding Regner. Get all three amulets ready to strike the mirror. Now.”

Within moments, Lorian, Galon, and Brevan stood together, each of them wearing an amulet. As one, they aimed their power through Regner’s remaining ranks, straight at the mirror.

Jamic added his power. And gods, what power hehad. His hair flew back from his face, and that power slammed into the mirror. Whatever training he’d done with Conreth…it all came down to this.

The mirror glowed. A tiny crack appeared in the glass.

I could see the despair on Prisca’s face as she used the dregs of her own power. After the way she’d used it to buy our right flank the time we needed, I’d thought she would have nothing left.

Marth and Rythos had returned from getting Conreth away from the battlefield, and they swung their swords through anyone who attempted to attack, working their way toward her.

To our left, I caught sight of Daharak wielding a sword—at least one hundred pirates fighting with her.

But we would never be able to kill Regner while that mirror protected him. Within hours, any terrovians left would be feasting on us.

Unless I did something. Something so terrifying, it made a chill spread through my bones.

I began to quake. A wave of nausea pitched up my throat.

If I did this, there would be no time to come to terms with my decision.

But the screams of the dying were burrowing deep, through my ears and into my mind, where they echoed over and over.

Prisca was just footspans away now. My blood pounded in my ears, and it was as if the drumbeat of it snagged Prisca’s attention.

Her eyes met mine.

“I know how to break the mirror,” I screamed to her. “Tell them to wait just a few minutes. They’ll know when they need to try again.”

Prisca opened her mouth, and I shook my head.

“Don’t ask how I can do it. We don’t have time. You have to trust me.”

Someone jostled me, and Marth was suddenly there, launching himself past us to address the threat.

Prisca stared at me. But she didn’t hesitate. The words were easy to read on her lips.