Page 67

A siren blared loudly, piercing the night.

It was coming from the fortress ahead …

Tye gripped my arm tighter, and with a muffled curse, he forced us into a near run.

I opened my mouth to demand he release me, but the chaos around us was too loud.

"Move, move!" someone yelled as a loud crash sounded from up ahead.

"Get the carts inside!" screamed another voice, full of worry.

Wheels clattered faster, and the murmur of the port turned into a panicked roar.

"What's happening?" I demanded, panic spreading through me as I reached to tug off my blindfold.

"Another raid," Tye growled, stopping my hand.

"By who?"

A haunting wail split the night, sharp and angry, making my hair stand on end.

It was unlike anything I'd ever heard, somehow both a wraith screech and a human scream wrapped into one.

Tye let out a frustrated grunt, then pulled off my blindfold.

I blinked, momentarily blinded by the lights illuminating the enormous fortress just ahead.

"There."

His massive arm pointed to something near the fortress, and I followed its direction, confusion twisting my brows.

Spotlights swiveled back and forth atop the fortress walls, seemingly hunting the dark skies for something. Between them, massive arrows on enormous ballistas moved with the spotlights, ready to destroy whatever they were looking for.

"What?" My mind spluttered. "I don't —"

A shape flashed out of the darkness, crashing onto the top of the wall. Screaming soldiers and ballista chunks were flung off the tall barricade at the impact, tumbling to the ground far below.

One soldier landed with a sickening smack a dozen paces from us.

Bile rose in my throat as I stumbled back from the gore.

Tye looked at me, face hard. "All ofthis,"he gestured widely, "is to hold back that ONE creature."

"What — how —"

The crossbows fired, and bolts as long as a fleiral whistled through the night sky.Dozensof them.

I hissed. "How is it not dead yet?"

Tye looked straight ahead, yellow eyes hard. "With enough bolts, it retreats. But it doesn't die." His jaw tightened. "If Frexin is here, it returns, and the cycle repeats in a few days' time."

The creature let out another screech, followed by the sounds of more yells and bolts being let loose.

So the defensesweren'tfor mountain wraiths.

What in the seven hells was that thing?

My gaze caught on the extra metal panels dotting the original walls. From the ship, I'd thought they were to make the walls more intimidating. But the cracks and holes told me they were repairs from previous raids instead.