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I t takes me all of two seconds to react after Orion slid down our tether to whisper, The worst has happened.

I do not care about anything, anyone else, besides Aledrya. She is all I see as I cast a shield around this room.

“The King of Torrent has arrived.” The words feel stuck in my throat as I eye everyone here individually. The lords’ eyes fixate wholly on me, the ladies at their sides blanch at the change in the air. I can feel him, I can feel the invasion in my blood. It boils me inside out, this anger. “He is in our realm.”

Aledrya’s fear courses down our tether as she watches me with such a regal grace it cleaves my soul in two.

I will not allow anything to happen to you. I would kill anything or anyone in my path to her.

The doors fly open, Hune stumbling through. He flies back when he comes into contact with my invisible Block.

“Sorry to interrupt.” He doesn’t look remorseful at all, actually. “We have a problem, Ridge.”

I can sense the lords’ uneasiness at his sudden entrance, but I ignore their rising tension. “What is it?”

“Amphithere incoming, with a flier.”

Aledrya’s eyes turn stony. “Toward our home? I don’t think so.”

My heart thunders as my court stands, each one of them an avenging god in their own right. I can feel Laz’s powers surfacing, his fists clenching. Even Deah squares her shoulders in her delicate dress, Ingrid and Lotog wear sly smiles as they await orders.

Nalin and Lamond are standing shoulder to shoulder, eyes pinned on me. My power bubbles to the surface, eager to assail. To appease the beast, I let it build in momentum, sending a crack of energy through the room. I look each lord in the eye, though, assessing them.

“Do you stand with Xecelsion, or against Xecelsion?”

“With Xecelsion, with you always, my king,” Rantof says with a wicked grin. “We will send a messenger immediately for our forces and birds.”

“Fradell already marches,” booms Norm with a savage grin, his power surfacing as it senses the change in the room.

Samuel, the Lord of Aledon, stares at me a moment. “We pledge our forces.”

My attention slides to Demaris. He narrows his gaze. “I may enjoy jesting, Majesty, but I would never stand against you or Xecelsion. Covendale will send forces.”

The tension in the room doesn’t let up, though. Not as the lady at the end of the table, who had been so silent during today’s meeting, finally rises. Her deep auburn hair falling in front of her face, wrinkles from a long-lived life framing her eyes and mouth. She looks at me and grins.

“Xanten will proudly fight,” Zolya says firmly.

I can feel Aledrya falter, her attention snapping to me. I repress my smile. She had no idea I’d made certain long ago to ensure females could be sole court holders, too.

I waste no time, though. War is at our borders, on our land, attacking our Phoenixes. “Lords, prepare yourself for battle. Ladies may remain here if they so desire.” I turn to my own court, eyeing each of them. “Nalin and Lamond, secure the Ravels. That is where we lay siege. We’ll hold forces there and send the front lines to Zindell. Deah, stay here with Ingrid. Spell this house and the Keep. Under no circumstances does a breach happen here. ”

No one breathes as I finish my commands. “Laz, Lotog, you are with me. We prepare the birds and ourselves to hold the line in the Pass.” I let my gaze fall to Aledrya, my pulse hammering when I see her smirk.

“The Pass,” she insists, no room for fighting her on it. “Let’s end this.”

Are you sure? I inquire silently. I will never allow others to see me pushing her, questioning her, but my heart rages at the thought of her engaged in live battle.

On the front lines.

Her blue irises flash those bewitching flames as she slides her answer down our tether.

I swallow, but I don’t let the nerves show to the others. “You heard your queen.” I finally bring my attention back to the others. “You have your charges. To the end, we protect Xecelsion, each other, and our birds.”

“On flamed wings,” Laz calls, voice booming through the space.

A smatter of “Here, here!”, and “On flamed wings!” call back, but I don’t hear them as Aledrya grips my face and kisses me deeply.

When we separate, things are a blur.

Decades of training take over as we bolt down the hall, grabbing swords and armor, and ditching our formal wear. In our rooms, Aledrya is sliding into her all-black, tight-fitted clothing, sheathing daggers at her thighs and side. She slides her crown off, setting it gently on her nightstand. She shakes her hair out, letting her long, golden locks cascade down her back. I stalk toward her, running my fingers through her hair as she stills.

“This is war. But make no mistake, there is nothing that trumps you. I will protect you with more vengeance than I would this kingdom.”

Her lip trembles as she turns in my arms, placing her hands on my chest. There is so much more I want to tell her, but time is up.

A banging on the door, followed by Laz’s thunderous voice. “Incoming. We have to leave, now .”

I can feel it now—their ungodly power rumbles, suffuses the air. On my fucking land .

I take Aledrya’s hand, making for the door and down the hall, trailing Laz and Lotog. I keep my grip on her hand as we skid into the living area, wasting no time before I launch us through a rip in the universe.

We land in the training hall, oppressive power more easily felt here as enemy lines approach. I can hear swords and shouts in the Pass as I open the newly built Block to the Overhang. We had been so close to having the Ravels back to fully operational.

I let the raging fury take over my senses. Vaguely, I’m aware of Lotog and Aledrya at my back, Laz unsheathing his sword at my side.

I don’t bother with mine. Not yet.

A few Torrent soldiers have been dropped by an Amphithere at the edge of the Overhang, and I let any semblance of reason fall away.

Not that I had much to begin with. I hadn’t since the night everyone I loved was taken from me, leaving me with one the person I detest most.

“Funny…” My voice no longer belongs to me. It belongs solely to the power coursing through my veins. “I do not recall inviting you to my home.”

With half a thought, I reduce them to nothing. Armor rattling where they once stood is the only proof they ever existed. I have never been able to comprehend exactly what my power is. Only that if I hand myself over to it entirely, it has the power to end everything in sight. There are times I’m frightened I might not be able to regain control.

As a child, I was affrighted by my powers. In those days, they had a mind of their own; whispering commands into my ear instead of the other way around. It took years of practice to clamp down on the searing sensation that came with those silent demands.

Now, my power feels like rolling thunder, skittering under my skin and erupting with fervor.

But still, if I listen, those voices remain.

They can be very persuasive.

An Amphithere dips from high above, dropping another round of soldiers onto the Overhang. It lingers, though, circling as if guarding .

I send an assessing tendril of power towards the serpent, curious if I can dematerialize him as well. I’m met with a cold, invisible wall.

I silently send orders to Orion, peeking over at Laz, who grins wickedly. The soldiers in front of us sway as if assessing nervously. We’re seriously outnumbered, however, they are vastly underpowered.

“The last soldiers Ridge eviscerated mentally screamed for their mothers as they died,” Laz taunts, showing all of his teeth. He turns to me then. “Perhaps we should have fun instead of ending it so quickly?”

I shrug. “Blades are for bloodying.” I unsheathe my sword as I lock eyes with the closest soldier.

Laz and I lock into battle, driving steel into soldiers one at a time. A few leap from the Overhang edge to their death instead of meeting the tips of our weapons.

I spot Artemis and Orion diving from high above, fully in flames. They attack the Amphithere, surprise on their side. Lotog and Aledrya are swinging daggers against a soldier toward the entrance of the training room. Her presence keeps the power from completely consuming me.

The last soldier falls at Laz’s hands, and I finally allow myself to return my gaze to Orion and Artemis, fending off the Amphithere as it twirls its slender, snake-like body through the air. High above, I sense movement.

“Volley!” I let my voice ring out through the Pass.

A line of poison-tipped arrows fly from above in perfect formation. Deep red flames dance at each tip, tearing through scale and flesh as it strikes true on the Amphithere. Pride swells in my chest. My archers are the Ravels’s best kept secret. They are deadly and stealthy, not even the Novices would be aware we had them.

I don’t give the Amphithere any time to recover. Orion dives to the Overhang, and I’m on his back before his feet can brush the ground. He carries us high, quicker than we’ve ever climbed. I give myself over to his flame, becoming one with him as we bank hard .

Once we’re far enough, I turn to lock eyes with my commander on top of the cliff edge. “Volley!” I cry out again, Orion’s great wings fully extended as we glide through the air.

Another round of those arrow’s fling from their bows, finding their mark again. Two hit the Amphithere through the eye and snout. I take my chance. Orion free falls. We spin and dive directly at the Amphithere, which is screaming in agony.

Orion strikes right at the Amphithere’s nose, gripping with talons six inches long. The Amphithere shrieks, thrashing against us, but Orion holds tight. We careen through the air as one; Orion clutching the monster's face, me raising my sword and angling it perpendicularly.

“Go back to the Beneath,” I growl, slamming my sword down. It impales the monster between the eyes, light leaving its hideous features instantly.

We’re perhaps fifty feet from the ground, where the battle still rages. Sentries on both sides lie dead below, and I try not to count how many bear the Ravels insignia.

I rip my sword from the monster’s face at forty feet.

We hold at thirty feet.

Orion wrenches his claws out of the Amphithere’s nose at twenty feet. By the time the Amphithere makes impact with the ground and a group of its own soldiers below, Orion and I are already gone as I dispatch us to Zindell.

Ridge? I feel Aledrya’s fear pulse down the tether as Orion and I tumble through the universe, holding onto that tear in time. Her horror floods my system as I land in the valley, into the heart of Zindell.

The effort of dispatching myself and Orion hits me, a rush of exhaustion making my head swim.

Despite our distance, I can still feel Aledrya at the edge of my mind, panicking. It’s agonizing to clamp down on my barriers, blocking everyone out but Orion and the scene in front of me.

They shall pay for this. Orion’s growling voice fills my mind, his anger palpable as he inspects the damage inflicted on his home .

The worst of it was already over; we’d arrived too late. I tried not to count the Phoenixes the Amphitheres had gotten to. I’d mark their faces and give every single one a proper Ceremony of Rebirth. They would all see their rebirth and revenge on Rathian.

I stalk past scorched earth, toward the dark-haired, small man waiting for me on the other side of the valley. I have at least six inches in height on him at six-foot-three, and he doesn’t possess a shred of power that is his own. Yet he doesn’t shrink away when I approach. My hatred for him threatens to burst out in the form of a slow death, but I rein it in for now.

I have a score to settle first.

His dark eyes watch me as I finally close the distance between us, Orion at my back, flames licking at his feathers still.

“Tell your bird to extinguish himself immediately,” the king barks, his eyes pinned to Orion.

“My Phoenix doesn’t take orders from someone who wouldn’t even suffice as a meal for rats,” I tell him, flipping the dagger in my hand.

“No power to thwart me?” he says, his lips pulling back into a snarl as he eyes my blade.

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Don’t need it.”

His eye twitches with anger, fists clenching and unclenching. I want him rattled, off guard.

“You don’t need it, or you’re drained from fighting? Age must be catching up to you by now.”

I don’t let him see the laughter that threatens to rise. There is no bottom to my power. I am without end. “You are likely ignorant enough to attempt to find out.”

He flinches, cheeks darkening with irritation. “I told you in my many messages what it would take to squash this war, yet you do not bring me what I ask?”

“Why would I, when I could off you and be done with it?” I let my words remain casual, unruffled.

“You’d still have Abacae to deal with. ”

Rathian is smarter than I gave him credit for. I force a laugh. “At least he’s a worthy opponent.”

Aledrya is still slamming into my mental barriers. My chest begins to throb that I’m keeping this from her.

When I accepted the tethering, I struck a deal with the gods. She’s going to be angry with me when she realizes what I’ve done. What she doesn’t recognize is that she’s too powerful. What they would have taken would have been too much.

So it’s time for the gods to cash in on my bargain. I’ll never go back on my promise to come back to her. But I made a new promise in order to keep her.

Get the Unborn Vase and avenge the Phoenix god.

Our gods are sneaky and tricky. I wasn’t allowed to speak of my bargain with anyone.

Now. I don’t let my tone waver as I silently command Orion.

I can sense his hesitation, but he obeys the request. He launches into the air, sending the king into a frenzy, not bothering to think before reacting.

Orion disappears into nothing as the Amphithere that was lurking in the dip of the valley floor strikes. I was still working on unraveling all of my secrets to Aledrya, but this was another secret I’d revealed to no one. My Phoenix had absorbed some of my power. Making him the most powerful bird in Zindell—on this continent.

The Amphithere roars, rattling the ground, the trees surrounding us. In his fear and rage, Rathian uses the last dregs of his stolen power.

He reacts unabashedly, using that siphoned power to dispatch himself away from me.

I throw my power out, attaching myself to him before he can disappear. I tumble through the universe; the king being so untried with power, he couldn’t have stopped me. He shrieks in horror at my presence, feeling my power grip him.

Not just anyone can dispatch to the Beneath. At least, not until I know where it is. I needed the Human King, or Abacae himself, for that .

We land with a thud in a dark, gloomy throne room. No windows, only faceless guards and slimy creatures hissing at the base of it. The room emits an orangish hue. A dripping sound aggravates my senses, the smell of mildew leaching into the air. I shove Rathian off me, turning to the throne constructed of bone, skulls scattered around.

Abacae is leisurely slumped on his throne, one leg slung over the arm of his seat, peering down at us. One guard approaches him on silent feet.

“End them, Overlord?”

He laughs, rows of needle-like teeth gleaming as he picks at them with a discarded finger bone. Strands of long, greasy black hair frame his gaunt face.

“That would be quite rude without first finding out why they’ve shown up unannounced.” His milky, soulless eyes slide to me. I barely repress the urge to recoil.

When he presents himself in our realm, he isn’t so horrifyingly large.

“Now tell me, why the fuck are you here, and why, Rathian, have you brought the enemy?”