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“That’s not going to happen.” Ava shuddered. “So tell me all the clever things the Kassian army are planning against the Rising Wave.” She lowered herself into the chair by the fire.

“Got ourselves some flares.” He grinned at her. “We’re going to wait for the Rising Wave to pass the hills, where we’ve set up flare cannons, and when they come past, wooooooo, boom.” He traced the air to show the trajectory of a flare and then threw his hands in the air for the boom. “And then,” he leaned toward her and lowered his voice, “when they run for Bartolo, because its the only place for a quick river crossing, we’ll come out from under the city and—” He made a sound at the back of his throat and ran a finger under his chin.

“How many flares?” she asked, trying to sound impressed.

“Ten canons, three flares each.” He leaned back on his hands, as if expecting praise.

“That is amazing,” she said. “Can you tell me what flares are, again?”

He chuckled indulgently. “Magical fire. Got them from Zilvana. Burns and burns. Spreads like water.” He tapped his cheek, and she thought he meant to tap his nose but missed. “Got to be careful. Very dangerous to launch.”

“Very dangerous.” Ava thought through her options. “Where are they now? Are they in Bartolo?”

“No, silly.” He shook his head. “Already gone two days ago. Probably already setting them in place. The Rising Wave could be coming past any day.”

She, Oscar and Deni must have just missed them.

“Are you going to the hills?”

“No.” He looked sad about it. “Would love to see it, but I’m stuck here to mop up the survivors.”

Rage spiked in her chest, and she took a calming breath. “You know what you should do?”

He looked up at her and shook his head.

“You shouldn’t take that kind of disrespect. A competent officer like you, stuck in Bartolo? You should pack your things and simply go home.”

“I should. You’re right, I should.”

“Go tonight, if you can. Don’t tell anyone. Why should you give them notice when they disrespect you like that? And when you get home? You throw that piece of fabric in the first fire you see and be done with it.”

She left him packing his things, flinging them into a canvas bag with a sort of delighted outrage.

She hoped his disappearance caused all kinds of logistical trouble.

“He touch you?” Oscar asked as she stepped into the hallway, and she frowned at him in incomprehension.

“What?”

“Did he try—” Deni shut his mouth. “You were the more dangerous of the two, weren’t you?”

She shook her head, dismissing the whole line of questioning. “Have you heard of flares?” She came to a stop at the top of the stairs. The noise coming from below told her they wouldn’t be able to have a conversation down there.

“Flares?” Oscar shook his head, but Deni went pale.

“I’ve heard of them. Some kind of magical fire.”

Ava nodded. “They aren’t going to hide troops in the hills. They’re setting up cannons on the hilltops and they’re going to shoot flares at the columns. They’ll only need a small force for that. It’s how they have enough troops to hide an army in the cisterns to deal with whoever escapes the flares and tries to use the Bartolo bridge to cross the river.”

“The fuckers.” Deni’s voice was hushed.

“We’re leaving now?” Oscar asked.

She nodded. “You two go back the way we came in, get the horses where we left them and cross the river. Go find the columns before they try to surround the hills.”

“And you?” Deni did not sound happy.

“I’m going out the other way. I’ll get a horse or find a lift, but the Rising Wave has already split up. We need to warn both groups.”