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Below us, the city was free from its siege. A handful of soldiers continued their struggle, pushing back the last of the enemy who had not retreated. But they were mere skirmishes, echoes of the once-thunderous clash of thousands.

I scanned the sea of soldiers for King Mark and, with relief, found him. He had been unhorsed and was limping. Only a few knights remained by his side. But he was alive and looked as if he would remain that way.

I lifted my eyes back to meet Draven’s but found my mate’s gaze had shifted. He was staring at something off on the horizon.

I followed his train of vision, and a chill touched my heart.

A new legion of foes flew towards us, filling the sky with their foreboding silhouettes.

Down below, the cheering of our allies had ceased. An ominous silence grew as, one by one, the Tintagel troops turned towards the sound of beating wings.

As the new forces approached, the drone of wings became an incessant roar.

Horror gripped me as I saw our adversaries more clearly and the truth spread out across the skies.

Dark riders drew nearer on flying beasts with sinewy frames covered in leathery skin. In every way, they were like the ones we had seen when we battled in the air above Noctasia, except these had one significant advantage: knifelike beaks protruded from beneath beady black eyes matching the sharp, slender talons which extended from their wingtips. The beasts looked nothing so much as strange and horrific featherless birds. Dark and terrible, I was not surprised by the silence of our allied soldiers down below.

But it was not these raptor-like creatures that made my heart race faster now.

No, it was the flying beasts at the vanguard, full of raw power and moving with unnerving speed that held my attention.

Their chests were covered with plates of armor like knights’ horses, and they advanced with a precision that bespoke years of training.

They were battlecats.

CHAPTER 10 - MORGAN

Beneath me, I felt Sunstrike shudder in shock. How quickly our elation had turned to horror.

I looked over at Draven. His face was hardset and grim.

I understood how he must be feeling. In an instant, my belief that our battlecats were somehow singular in their existence had crumbled, replaced by the stark reality of an entire legion of exmoors approaching.

If my mindset had been shaken, I could only imagine how much more Sunstrike’s had.

She’d been born in the wild. Her mother and siblings were slaughtered by my brother’s henchman when she was no more than a newborn. She’d fended for herself until finally joining our group. Nightclaw was the only other exmoor she had ever known.

Now I glanced at Nightclaw and knew the same could not be true of him.

A subtle vibration was coursing through Sunstrike. A mix of awe, trepidation, and a curious recognition.

I felt trepidation of my own. What we were about to ask Sunstrike and Nightclaw to do seemed antithetical to their existence. To war against their own kind... It was an unsettling paradox. But one which fae and mortals faced with all too great a frequency.

I stroked Sunstrike gently, feeding my concern to her. Did she wish to go back? I could fight from the ground. There was no need for her to continue to fly.

No, she responded, quickly and firmly. She would fly and she would fight. She would not be left behind.

I glanced at Draven and saw his own apprehension. He flew Nightclaw closer to us.

“She says she’ll fight,” I called. “She wants to fly.”

Draven nodded reluctantly, his eyes focused entirely on his battlecat. I could sense his worry—and Nightclaw’s as well. This would be a very different kind of battle. Was Sunstrike ready for it?

I gently stroked the exmoor’s fur, trying to calm her disquiet.

When I cast my eyes at the field below, I saw to my relief that King Mark and his knights were quickly rallying the Tintagel forces back into position. More than that, they had formed a new strategy swiftly. Archers, crossbowmen, and other ranged units were moving into place, quickly finding elevated locations on small hills. Behind the forces out on the fields, all along the city ramparts, more archers were running out to take up positions.

I spotted ballistae and catapults being rolled forward, ready to launch projectiles. Large nets were being dragged up beside them. If these could be launched by ballistae, they might be able to ensnare a battlecat midair.