Page 8 of Dance of Kings and Thieves

“How do you know?” Gunnar asked, scanning the top of the fence.

“I just do.” I drew a dagger from a sheath on my leg. “There’s likely too many for us to take at once. Be ready to fight.”

“Sol!” Tor called down the line. The king’s brother lifted his gaze from where he helped seal weaknesses in the wall. Tor signaled to him. “Burn them with me.”

I didn’t understand, but Sol’s grin spread into something frightening as he sprinted to us.

I held out an arm when the two men stepped through the gap. “No. There are too many.”

Sol winked. “We’ve yet to face a challenge we couldn’t handle.”

Before Sol Ferus turned around, the first row of Alvers finally broke from their hiding place behind the fence. Rifters lifted their hands. Some faced Kase and Valen and the folk helping on their end. The others faced Sol and Tor.

“I’ll block them,” said Hagen from behind me.

My stomach sank as I watched my brother rush after the two fae.

“Hagen, no!” I cried. “Get back, all of you.”

I was cut off when Hagen raised his palms, and the slightest flicker of his mesmer block ignited. There and gone into the darkness, but I could sense it even if it was not aimed at me.

The Rifters in their Black Palace cloaks cursed the gods. Elixists flung their potions and poisons, but like a warrior’s shield, magic pummeled against an invisible barrier.

Hagen cried out, muscles flinching. Gods, they’d slaughter him before he made it back.

A trio of Rifters set up to aim all their mesmer at Hagen, but a few wisps of wind brushed past my face.

Herja still held her bow in position, eyes narrowed as her dual arrows struck two of the Rifters between the eyes. Gunnar fired the third, hitting the last man in the center of his throat.

Hagen fumbled on his knees as mesmer stole his energy.

“He can’t block so many for long,” I shouted to no one in particular. I would not watch my brother fall when he grew too exhausted. I took a step to go after him, but Herja blocked me with her bow.

“No,” she said. “Do not get in their way.”

My eyes narrowed. I opened my mouth to curse her, to shout at her, anything, but was cut off when sticky black spilled off the Northern prince’s hands.

Not shadows like Kase, this was like water, or thick, syrupy smoke. Once again, Tor ignited his palms in blue flames.

The two consorts grinned at each other, then in unison tossed their strange magic at the fence.

The black flow collided with the blue fire. A burst of power scorched through the night. It devoured the fence. I cried out, covering my head when bits of ashy wood burst into shards and jagged pieces and rained over us.

The night silenced. When I dared peek around the edge of the hole in the wall, Hagen dropped his arms, breathing heavier, but he looked back, beaming at me.

No, not me, he only had a gaze for his lover now. It’d been too long since Hagen Strom had worn a true smile like this.

Tor laughed and clasped his hand tightly with Sol’s, almost congratulatory. Sol pulled him close, his arm around his shoulders, shouting curses at the fence. Except there was no fence. Only piles of steaming ash, bits of broken swords, and a few skydguard helmets remained.

I pressed a hand to my chest. All gods. They’d . . . they’ddestroyedeveryone.

CHAPTERTHREE

THE NIGHTRENDER

It was entirelylike the Eastern Kingdom to spur a battle the moment the Northern army set foot on our shores.

It hadn’t lasted long. There were few injuries, and the Sun Prince and his consort had obliterated dozens of skydguard and Alvers, sending them scurrying away like kicked pups with tails tucked.