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“None.” Hel smiled back at him.

“No fucking mercy!” Ronan howled and threw his fist into the air. “I like this new curse word.”

“No mercy!” Tif added to the chorus, and everyone laughed. Valeen blew out a slow breath and rolled her neck. It was time to kill as many people as possible. She took out Zythara and swung it around her hand.

Thane grabbed Fennan by the shoulder. “We have the magical barrier that gives us the advantage. We will send arrows and catapults at them, and we can retreat inside whenever we need to, and they can’t get to us. We’ll take out their leaders and they will leave. We can win this.”

“Not only can we win, but we will,” Valeen said. “You know why I named this sword Darkbringer? Because when I bring it out my enemies will not see light again. The god of war is your king and does not lose, and Hel wants revenge more than any of you truly know. We will win.”

“It’s time to get to our positions,” Thane said. “They’ll come from the west. Piper, you’ll go with Ronan and help command aerial. Leif, Fennan, you’re with me.” He looked between Valeen, Hel, and Presco. “Where will you all be?”

“I’ll be where I can take Pricilla’s head,” Hel said.

Worried, Valeen glanced at Katana. She was staying here at the castle with Tif and Talon. “Presco and I will fly with the dragons. You’ll need us there.”

“Damn, we get led into battle by the goddess of night.” Ronan lightly punched Dax, and he grinned back.

Katana stood and brushed the grass off her tan pants. “If anything happens here, I can communicate with Thane,” Katana assured. “Tif and I will wait in Valeen’s room protected by the enchantments.”

“Let’s go.” Thane held onto Phantom’s reins and signaled everyone to move out, but he didn’t mount him yet. He probably wanted a moment with Katana.

Valeen dropped into a crouch beside Katana and Tif. “Tif, stay in the room until I get back, alright?”

Tif put one of the flower necklaces over her own head. “I will, don’t worry.”

“Katana, nothing can happen to Lightbringer.”

With a bright smile, she pressed her hand to Valeen’s cheek and patted gently. “If Synick tries to sabotage it, I will tell Thane, and you’ll come. Everything will work out. The All Mother is with us. I can feel it.” She lifted her hand toward the sky. “There is not a cloud in the sky and the sun shines brightly upon us. You used to believe in miracles once. Believe again.”

Chapter 56

VALEEN

The air was fresher up here. Wind whistled through the gaps in her winged helmet. Starborn and Night soared alongside Presco in his beast form and Hel with his wings. Ronan, Piper, and Dax flew just above, and behind them were Ronan’s battalion of dragons.

It wasn’t just the sheer number of the enemy on the ground surrounding the Valley’s edge that took her breath away but the dragons circling above them. They looked like groups of dark clouds on the horizon. The roars and bellows rumbled through her chest. Not all of them were shifters either. There were wyverns among them.

The wall will hold,she chanted or prayed, she wasn’t sure which.

Below, Thane, Fennan, and Leif were on the physical wall. “Archers ready!” his voice carried all the way up to where she was.

If this goes south, I won’t let them take you again,Hel said.Don’t try to fight me if I tell you we’re leaving.

I’m not going to abandon everyone. This army is here because of us.

Or do fight me then, but you won’t win.

She knew he meant it too. He would leave everyone to die and take her away kicking and screaming if he had to.Then I won’t let us lose.

They flew through the shimmering magical barrier and her heart started hammering. Valeen raised her sword and turned to face the battalion behind her. “You are the bravest dragons there have ever been. I’d rather fight beside you than a thousand of them. If you want glory, this is where you get it! There is no surrender… for them! We kill them all.”

The roars back filled her with a wild energy.

“We’re with you, my queen,” Presco said. “No matter the cost.”

“It’s an honor to fight beside you, Presco. Always.”

She turned and gripped the reins, steering her winged horses straight into the first line of dragons. They dipped down under the swiping talons, and she shoved her blade upward and dragged it along the belly of a beast, spilling open his guts. Presco swung his giant paw, smacking another dragon’s face aside and sunk his teeth deep into his neck. Hel dodged a stream of fire and cut the wings from the beast then the others clashed.