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It was not a terrible idea.

And yet as Sunstrike heard his words, I sensed her immediate reaction. Her utter refusal to return without her mate, to leave us behind.

Not my first battle, I felt her say, in emotions if not in words. Not my first. Back on the beach. I helped.

“She did,” Draven said begrudgingly as he understood her message. “But this...” He shook his head. “This is very different.”

I looked at Nightclaw, but the cat’s eyes were focused ahead of him. I got the impression he would not tell his mate what to do but would leave it to her.

“She wants to help,” I said carefully. “She’s fast. I can guide her. We’ll just be more careful.”

“They’ll be watching for us now,” Draven said grimly. “That large one down below, the general...”

“That large what?” I prompted. “What the fuck are those things, Draven? Men? Fae?”

Draven shook his head. “Fae, I’d assume. Well-trained, impassive. Very well-controlled.”

I snorted. “Impassive? Is that what you’d call it? They’re brutal. Nothing like any human soldiers I’ve seen.”

Draven gave me a searching look. “Think of who they work for.”

We had never spoken of it outright. But I knew we’d shared the same idea for a long time.

“Right,” I said darkly.

“It’s probably easy to be impassive when something worse awaits them back home if they fail,” he pointed out.

“Why send out those raiding parties if this was what my father had all along?” I demanded. “What was the point?”

“To rattle us, to frighten us,” Draven answered. “To test Tintagel’s strength. To see where he should first attack. Tintagel is the closest kingdom after all.”

And Pendrath was next. Followed by Lyonesse.

And then what? Cerunnos? Until all of Eskira was under Valtain control?

“Total dominion,” I said miserably. My father must have had this attack already planned out, if not under way, by the time he found me in the dream.

“If I had to guess,” Draven said, “I’d say this battle has been a long, long time coming.” He looked over at me. “What’s the plan?”

“Get down there and fuck shit up?” I suggested.

My father may have been a military mastermind. But I had my own style. Blunt and to the point.

He grinned. “How elegantly put.”

I shrugged. “I’ll use fire. You use... whatever the hell we’re calling what you can do. And we’ll see if we can help King Mark.”

“Shadow wielding. It’s rare among fae, but not unheard of.” He sighed. “Fine. But Nightclaw and I will stay close and shield you. If things get too hot, you and Sunstrike head back up into the clouds.”

I touched Sunstrike, making sure she understood. She was eager and excited to go back down. But she was a little afraid, too. I knew she’d be more careful.

“We’re ready. Let’s go.”

We flew to war.

The blood-soaked earth stretched out below us like a canvas.

Sunstrike flew swiftly. She was young and nimble, if lacking experience.