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In his soul he felt that it was true. That there was some force outside of them guiding and aiding them. “When I go with Hel to fight Pricilla…” he didn’t even want to think of parting from her, even for a day.

She groaned and laid her head on his chest. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I know.”

“I just want to be with you. Whether we are lying like this or riding dragons or going for our runs. I just want to be near you.”

“We will be together.”

“I’m scared to lose you.”

“It’s why I must go. If I don’t help Hel, they will destroy Palenor. If the council finds out what you mean to me, they could target you—as they do your sister. I won’t have that. We have to attack. Hel has a plan to get our immortality…” a trickle of dread. Katana was not immortal.

“Valeen and I talked. She and I will stay and reforge Lightbringer to protect the city. If the battle should turn, they will come here.”

“Yes, they will.” His voice was low, almost angry. They would come to destroy his home and the maiden he loved. The thought of leaving her here, even with Valeen made him irrational. It went against every instinct firing inside him, but a battlefield on Runevale would be worse.

She lifted her head and propped her chin on her hands. “Promise you’ll come back to me. Promise you will retreat if you must, just come back to me.”

“I swear it.”

Chapter 49

HEL

Hel pushed through the doors of Thane’s study and found him leaning over a stack of papers. Ink and quill were by his right hand. The books on the shelves behind him were lined up perfectly. It wasn’t that long ago he’d taken up this room for his own. The single bed that had once been in the corner was replaced with a chair and footstool and a potted ivy plant on a white stand.

He looked up from the page and set it down. “Hel,” he sounded surprised.

Hel glided into the room with his hands behind his back. “Were you expecting someone else? Katana perhaps.”

“Possibly.”

Taking the seat across from Thane, Hel pulled out a civar and lit it. “I hope it works for you two. I called it weeks ago, she’s perfect for you.”

“I trust that it will,” Thane said with a smile. Something had happened while he and Valeen were gone but he wasn’t one to pry with these sorts of things. Hel waved his hand, and a bottle of wine appeared along with two glasses. He poured onefor Thane, then himself. “Now, to the reason I’m here. Are the dragons on their way? And what are their numbers?”

“The king has promised a hundred of his royal army. I sent for them while you were gone. They will be here in the morning.”

“A hundred will do for this battle, but it wouldn’t if they invaded. The combined army of the council will have a thousand dragons or more.”

“He will send more when they come. But the population up north is smaller than Ryvengaard. Half of them are female and most of the males aren’t soldiers, even if they’re dragons. Anyway, I can’t feed a thousand dragons for an unset amount of time while we wait to see if they invade Palenor.”

Even a hundred dragons would go through Thane’s food storage at the castle in a matter of days. And they preferred meat, which elves didn’t have in abundance. “Mathekis is marching with my army as we speak. I made an appearance. They are eager for war.”

Thane picked up his wine and rolled his eyes. ‘They always are.”

“Well, in this case it’s to our advantage. Now, Pricilla’s walls will be nearly impossible to break, and I think we should keep the dragons as a surprise.”

“Then you need to draw her army out to fight,” Thane mused. “How will you do that? It would be stupid of her to leave the walls.”

“I’ll piss her off.”

“You killed her son and threw his head on a spike right in front of her and she did nothing.”

“You let me worry about that while you do your part.” Hel took a long inhale of the civar and slowly blew out smoke rings. “When I draw them out, I will need you to be there with the dragons and your Ravens. I need the god of war, mybrother,with me.”

“I will be there, Hel.” Thane swirled his red wine around in his glass. “How are you going to get our immortality from her?”