Page 153 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile

“How many men will fit?” Merrick gestured to the large piece of rock jutting out above their ships, casting most of those behind this one in shade.

“A couple hundred, we believe,” Zaddock said as he took the spot by Loche’s side when they stopped a few feet from the railing. “Kerym and Thissian have already agreed that one of them will join the troops up there, while the other will fight from the water.”

“Makes sense.” Raine nodded as his eyes flew over the island, back to the water, and across the ships that Loche had felt were plenty but under the Fae warrior’s scrutinizing gaze appeared to become fewer and fewer by the second. “Merrick, you should remain on the ship, take out as many of the soldiers in the bows of the attacking ships as you can until your magic runs out. I will have a better overview from the cliff. I’ll go after the captains to start—to save my energy—make sure they break formation.”

A muscle ticked in Merrick’s jaw, and he eyed his friend before shifting his examination to Loche. “Rioner always puts those that can do the most damage—the water wielders, the fire wielders, the wind wielders—at the front of his line. I don’t know Meyah’s strategy, but I can only assume she’ll do the same. I can take out many, but not all, not when I need to ensure I don’t kill any of our own.”

Loche was about to snarl that Merrick definitely couldn’t fucking risk his people, remembering too well that night on thecliff in Ellow when he’d figured out who Lessia and Merrick truly were and discovered how terrifying Merrick could be in his element, but Merrick continued speaking before he had the chance.

“I won’t.” Understanding glimmered in the Fae’s dark eyes. “I’ll work with the Faelings on the ship to figure out where best to place them. They’re young, so they’ll run out of magic quickly, and since I don’t expect many of them to know how to fight any other way, we’ll need to ensure they can get away fast. I don’t stand for young ones being harmed.”

“Fair,” Loche declared. “We have some younger ones on our side, too, but I am placing them all in the archer lineup, keeping the front line to my experienced soldiers. Will this strategy also work for the rebels? We haven’t had any sightings of Rioner or the Oakgards’ ships, not that that is saying much, but we expect the rebels to come first.”

“It’s how Rioner likes it,” Merrick said in a voice that should have chilled the water beneath to ice. “Where do you think the shifter ruler got the idea to get the Fae and humans to take out each other in the previous war? It’s been a tactic of the Rantziers for millennia.”

“But it should still work for the rebels,” Raine added, stepping toward Merrick, whose face was shifting with rage. “Even if they have some magic wielders amongst the half-Fae, they’ll be untrained.”

“They have quite a few,” Loche responded, continuing when the Fae males stared at him. “We have a prisoner on this ship who has given us some useful information. Not that we could get much more out of him than what his friends could do, as Meyah”—Loche forced himself not to let any emotion fill his face as he spoke of his mother—“seems to keep everything she can under wraps.”

Merrick nodded once, and irritation flitted across Loche’s skin at the slight narrowing of the Fae’s eyes—the way he seemed to see through his regent mask.

But then a screech had them all jerk their heads up, and all but Raine went for their weapons when a huge shadow blocked their view of the sky.

An arrow shot into the air from another ship, but the eagle swerved swiftly, letting out another ear-splitting cry before its wings whipped salty air in their faces as it landed on Raine’s outstretched arm.

“About time,” he mumbled as he unclasped a piece of parchment from the creature’s leg.

“Who?” Merrick demanded.

A slow smile spread across Raine’s face. “Everyone.”

Zaddock looked as confused as Loche felt, and thankfully Raine expanded. “I sent for my friends. The only ones I trust—the ones I’ve been living with for the past decades. They took their fucking time, but they’ve decided to help us. They hate Rioner as much as we do, so I offered a fine price for whoever killed him… It seems they responded well to it.”

“A price?” Zaddock still appeared perplexed as he shot Loche a glance.

“I offered my house to whoever manages to kill the bastard.” Raine shared a look with Merrick, and the warmth passing between the males flickered in the air for a moment before Merrick placed a hand on the crimson-haired Fae’s shoulder, something dangerously close to glossiness shading his already dark eyes.

“When?” Merrick asked quietly.

“A while ago,” Raine responded, his voice also lowering. “You’re not the only one who wants to keep her alive, you know.”

Another silence stretched across the ship, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one.

It was an agreement.

Understanding.

Hope for the half-Fae girl who had affected each of the four men in some way.

Hope… for them all.

Chapter 33

Merrick

“They’re at least… passionate.” Kerym bumped his elbow into Merrick’s side as they watched the Faelings practice what Merrick had asked of them.

Merrick hummed, his eyes fixed on the three who would be helpful during this fight.