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Tryggar's silver form descended from the clouds as if summoned by my thoughts, landing with enough force to send dust scattering across the yard. His eyes immediately found Aether, and his wings flared slightly—a warning I'd come to recognize.

"Still holding that grudge, I see," Aether muttered, taking a careful step back.

Tryggar snorted, positioning himself between us. I couldn't help but laugh as he nudged me with his snout, nearly knocking me over in his enthusiasm.

"Yes, yes, I missed you too," I said, scratching under his chin. His purr of contentment vibrated through my chest. "And your instincts are correct, as usual."

Tryggar's only response was to wrap his wing around me like a shield, effectively blocking Aether from view.

"Mature," Aether said dryly. I heard him whistle, and moments later Nihr appeared, her dark form a stark contrast to Tryggar's silver coat.

The wind whipped through my hair as we soared above Ravenfell, its dark spires piercing the sky. Up here, everything seemed smaller—the problems, the pressure, even my own doubts. But they weren't gone, just muted by the altitude and the steady beat of Tryggar's wings.

"I wasted our time," I finally said, breaking the silence between our Vördr. "Three days of flipping through nearly every tome, book and scroll and we're no closer to stopping this war."

"You found a lead," Aether replied, guiding Nihr closer so we could hear each other over the wind. "That's more than we had before."

"A lead that goes nowhere." The words tasted bitter. "I have less than two days to present something to Urkin, and all I have is torn pages and theories."

"Sometimes theories are enough to start with."

I shot him a look. "Since when are you the optimistic one?"

"I'm not," he said, and I caught that ghost of a smile again. "But you seemed to be taking a break from it."

The laugh that escaped me was sharp, almost desperate. "I just thought... I don't know what I thought. That maybe there was a way to fix this without more death. Without having to choose sides."

"There might be," he said after a moment. "Perhaps we just need to get more creative."

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

"Two days from now,"Rethlyn said, pushing his food around his plate. "Urkin wants the new recruits to cross the rip. See the Western territory of Sídhe firsthand."

I stared at my own untouched meal, my appetite gone. In two days, I was supposed to present Urkin with an alternative to war. Instead, I'd be watching the Umbra prepare their next generation to infiltrate my former home.

"It's just observation," Rethlyn continued, as if sensing my discomfort. "No engagement. They need to understand what we're facing beyond the rip, learn the patrol patterns."

"Am I not included in this run?" I asked, unable to hide the bitterness in my words.

Rethlyn's eyes glanced from Aether to me, a questioning look settling into his features. "I would assume," he finally said. "Although, I'm not sure Urkin cares either way."

"Yes. Because I've already given him exactly what he needs."

"The recruits deserve to see what they're up against. What they've committed their lives to." Rethlyn shrugged, but there was an apologetic look in his eyes.

"They've only been training for five days," I said, disbelief coloring my tone. "None of them are ready for this."

"They don't need to be ready," Aether replied, his voice carrying that familiar weight. "They just need to see."

"Besides," Effie cut in, barely glancing up from her nails, "the Guard never positions themselves that close to the rip. Flying through the Western border is nothing."

Her words hit like a physical blow, that old part of me flinching at the revelation. How many times had they entered Sídhe without anyone catching on?

"Will they be using… shadows?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. They were my shadows now—my power being used against my former allies.

"Just for concealment," Rethlyn said quickly. "Standard protocol for crossing the rip. We're not looking to engage anyone."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table. Even Effie's rhythmic filing paused.