Page 100

Today we would march on Akra, and in two days’ time Donika would be dead.

Or we would be.

I strapped Stormslayer to my thigh, stashing my throwing knives in my boots as well. I had always planned to take a sword too, but Nik wordlessly held his out to me.

“You want me to take yours?” I asked, my brow quirked at him.

He nodded, his gaze meeting mine. “So a piece of me will be with you when you face her.”

I gripped the front of his jacket and pulled him towards me, capturing his mouth with mine. I would never get enough of the taste of his lips. The touch of his skin against mine.

He helped me secure it to my back, adjusting the strap to fit me. He disappeared to grab another blade from the weapons room down the hall to strap onto himself. We secured our packs and ascended the staircase towards the upper cottage for the last time, meeting the others out front.

Zion, Annelise, Alastir, and Amiyah were already out here waiting for us. Zion gazed at the cottage wistfully, as if it were the last time he would set eyes on the home. I knew how much it meant to him, and what it represented. It was his haven after the War of Siraleth. It was the home he raised Donika in. The home he fell in love with Annelise in. These walls had seen so many of the moments that had built his life.

It wouldn’t be the last time he saw it if I had anything to do with it.

Saanvi and Kenna joined us and each pulled me into a hug, wishing me speed and luck in the battle to come. They hugged each other fiercely, and tears stung the back of my eyes. Kenna had almost lost Saanvi once already, and there was no guarantee we would all make it out of this battle alive.

I wanted my family to finally feel safe. I didn’t want them to worry about whether they would come home again, whether they would ever see a loved one again. Whether they would be captured and tortured simply for the magic they were born with.

Tomorrow, I would fight for each one of them.

Tess and Puck joined us at last, Tess gripping me tightly. Puck gave me a gruff hug and mussed my hair with his gloved hand, laughing when it clung to me with static electricity. I gazed around at each of them, thanking the Mother for bringing them into my life. For allowing me to feel so supported and loved in these past months. That no matter what happened now, I would never be alone again.

The corner of my mouth turned up in a half smile at Zion who nodded, starting off towards the plains of Siraleth. We would meet the army of the resistance right before the two columns that reached up into the clouds—the entryway to Prins.

There was no haste to the pace which we set, as if we were walking towards something we didn’t truly want to, but rather needed to. I was anxious to get this over with, but I wasn’t anxious for what would come first.

Blood would be spilled on both sides tomorrow.

It was Puck who broke the silence as we walked. “It’s too bad we can’t march against Donika on horses, it would be so much more badass.”

Nik laughed, shaking his head. His golden hair fell into his eyes. “Have you ever seen a horse in The Shadow?”

Tess tilted her head as if she were truly thinking about it.

Nik playfully punched Puck in the arm. “There are horses north of The Shadow and there are horses south of The Shadow. You try taking a horse down those steps.”

“I never thought of it that way,” Puck mused, his hand on his chin as he gazed off, deep in thought.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

I was reminded of how things had been mere months ago, when winter had just begun and we had met Nik and Puck for the first time. The stakes were much less then, and everything was so… simple. Puck had always been the comedic relief of the group, and I hoped that never changed.

“I think if we really needed to, we could get a horse into The Shadow,” he finally announced.

“But how many?” Nik countered. “If we were all to ride horses into battle… it just doesn’t make sense, Puck. Think about it.”

“Ok… then we get horses north of The Shadow. Simple.”

“Sure… we will just buy a battalion of horses as if we come across that every day.” Nik slung his arm around his shoulder. “I think you’re going to need to let this one go.”

“I’m only trying to see how we can make this more… epic,” Puck replied.

“I think this will be epic enough without the horses, boys,” Tess replied, rolling her eyes.

She was right about that. If the battle at Prins had shown us anything, this was going to be the fight of our lives.