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The flag of the nation that had spawned the gilded riders.

We burn ? Kaia asked.

We burn , I replied grimly. Tell Yara to sweep over the one on the left; we’ll take the one on the right. Order Rua to remain back and keep watch for gilded riders.

Kaia relayed the orders then said, Rua not happy. Want fight.

Tell her if the riders attack, she and Hannity will get more than enough chances to fight and burn.

You want to capture rider?

I hesitated. Let’s burn those boats first and see if that brings the gilded riders out of the woodwork. We can decide what to do then.

What woodwork?

I smiled. Woodwork is making things out of wood, but the term itself means something or someone appearing suddenly. Or, as the case may be here, flying out from the cover of magic.

Your sayings strange.

Yes, indeed.

I signaled to Kele and then Hannity to let them know what we were doing. Both raised their fists in acknowledgement. Rua immediately circled away while Yara arced left to begin her run at the second boat.

On the pier ahead, the green-haired men were now pointing and probably shouting, though with the speed we were flying, it was impossible to hear anything. Most dropped whatever they were holding and ran—some toward the port, others back to the boat—though there were a few who aimed metal crossbows our way. Arrows wouldn’t pierce Kaia’s scales, but I nevertheless warned her to be cautious.

Her response was a deep roar that echoed loud and long, then she dropped hard toward the first boat, banking briefly, then folding her left wing close to her body so that I had a clear path of destruction. I unleashed a thick and deadly spray of fire, sweeping it across the deck from stern to bow, cindering anyone who got in the way and setting the entire boat alight. Crates similar to the ones we’d seen in the cave near the Beak exploded, spewing flames and burning liquid into the air, along with the remnants of several men who’d been standing close.

Kaia roared again as we swept over the bow and smashed her tail across the boat’s mast, snapping it in two. As it crashed down, she extended her claws and dropped a little lower, scouring the pier, ripping up the ancient wooden planks as easily as she scooped up the still-running men. She crushed both in her murderous claws, then dropped them into the sea.

More explosions, this time to our left. As the mast on the second boat fell, a destructive rain of wood speared the air, forcing Kaia to bank away sharply. As she did, I caught a glimmer of gold in the blackened and burned remains behind the administration building. A heartbeat later, Rua’s warning swept through my mind.

The gilded birds were rising.

I’d been right about the magic Kaia had sensed being a concealment spell, but very wrong about the ability of the birds to fly during the day.

Not , came Kaia’s comment. They hooded. Look .

She briefly deepened our connection, allowing me to see through her eyes. The five birds appearing above from the ashes of the administration section were all wearing the same sort of hoods as the one we’d spotted tied up at the watch station near the Beak, which completely covered their heads, leaving only their sharp beaks exposed.

How in Vahree’s name could they fly when they couldn’t see?

Bands on leg , Kaia said. You said use to talk.

I’d certainly theorized that the metal bands worn by both the “lead” bird of any attacking flight and its rider allowed the two to communicate directly. Obviously, that connection also allowed the birds to see through the eyes of their rider when necessary.

And the fact that it was only the birds and riders wearing the bands who’d risen in response to our attack did seem to confirm that they actually couldn’t fly in daylight unless they had the advantage of a connected rider.

So why not fit all birds and riders with those bands? Was it simply a matter of not all birds and riders being compatible?

That was a question we could ask when we caught one of the bastards alive.

See other birds now, Kaia growled. We need kill.

I squinted past her lowered head. I wasn’t yet seeing them, but the haze that had covered that area was definitely fading. Perhaps the birds, in rising, had shattered the protective spell. Aside from the fact we need to get past these five birds first, the other riders will be well aware of our presence now, and they will protect their mounts.

We in air. They on ground. Have advantage.

Not when their weapons can burn wing and flesh.

They fire, you burn.

Let’s just concentrate on the five first.

She grumbled in response but nevertheless turned and swept back toward the burning boats and the shoreline. The riders had formed a wide reverse V, the largest of the five birds holding the anchor position at the rear, distinctly behind the others. Perhaps he needed to do so in order to view our movements and direct the response of the other riders.

Tell Rua to fly up and come in from behind, I said, then twisted around and signaled the same information to Hannity, just to be sure she knew what was happening. I had no idea how well she could see me given the distance between us, and we really did need to find a better means of communication between riders, but for now, we just had to use what worked on patrols.

I’d barely finished signaling when Rua soared up sharply, her red scales gleaming bloody fire in the hazy light. As she disappeared into the haze of cloud, I ordered Yara to attack the left “arm” of their flight, which not only gave them another drakkon to worry about but also a lesser mass of drakkon flesh to target.

The riders didn’t split. They didn’t go after Yara, or even send a rider to investigate Rua’s disappearance.

They just kept coming toward Kaia and me.

Because they knew us, I thought. Because they knew the threat we represented.

May not see Rua and Yara have flamers , Kaia said. My sight sharper than yours. Perhaps gilded riders same.

Possibly. Especially when all four riders were wearing helmets. They surely had to restrict their peripheral vision, even if only a little bit.

Am high , came Yara’s thought. Dive now?

Yes. And don’t bellow and warn them you’re coming.

You no fun.

Apparently not , I replied wryly, then said to Kaia, Let’s cover her descent. Roll sideways and I’ll flame the bastards.

She immediately did so, the movement so fast she almost unseated me. The minute her belly was partially exposed, the four riders in the “arms” raised their tube weapons and fired. I unleashed a fire steam and swept it across the sprays, setting them alight in an effort to take some of the momentum away. As they began to fizz and burn, I directed my flames on, pushing them straight down the middle of their V before looping them around the lead bird’s foot, just above the metal band. Metal might resist my flames, if only for a few seconds, but flesh could not.

As the bird’s clawed foot fell away, the poor creature screeched and briefly fought its rider’s control. Then Yara dropped out of the haze, a red streak of fury intent on murder. She hit the lead bird hard, forcing it down and away from its companions, her talons snaring and then piercing the body of the rider, slicing him in two. Then she rolled away, and Kele unleashed her flames, sweeping them across the length of the bird’s body, melting feather, flesh, and then bone. As blood and metal dripped like rain to the ground, the poor creature screeched again—a sound that ended abruptly as Yara snapped her tail across the bird’s head and broke its neck.

As it spiraled lifelessly to the ground, two of the remaining four came straight at Kaia and me while the third rolled around and chased after Yara. The fourth retreated, flying back toward the ruins of the administration building, perhaps to find reinforcements.

It didn’t make it.

Rua appeared out of the gloom and dropped down hard onto the bird and the rider, her teeth tearing into the bird’s neck. Hannity unleashed her flames a heartbeat later, looping them around the creature’s body and attacking the tender flesh underneath. It was dead well before Rua ripped away and then spat out the bird’s head.

Then my whole body lurched sideways, the ropes snapping taut as Kaia flung herself down and left. I’d been so damn busy watching the other drakkons that I’d forgotten our own situation and the fact we remained under threat.

Two thick streams of brown shot past Kaia’s shoulder; the majority missed but the tail end caught me, splattering fine droplets across my clothes and my unprotected face. I swore and twisted around, spraying fire at the oncoming gilded riders. One bird immediately dropped away while the second flew on. I let the first go and dealt with the immediate threat, flicking my flames under its belly, attacking the unprotected flesh there, punching a hole deep into its flesh and burning it from the inside out.

It rolled away from us and dropped upside down toward the sea, a movement that blocked its rider’s line of sight, preventing him from firing at us a second time. I spotted him a heartbeat later, leaping from his mount, diving feet first into the sea. Flames flickered around my hand, but I didn’t unleash, waiting for the rider to come up. He didn’t, so maybe the sheer weight of his armor had dragged him down before he could remove it all.

Hold , Kaia said, barely giving me the time to do so before she did a belly roll and somehow came up upside down under the retreating second bird. With one quick but deadly slash of her claws, she gutted the thing. As its blood and innards splattered across the two of us, the rider twisted and fired his tube, the brown liquid skimming the very edge of Kaia’s right wing. She bellowed and snapped her tail sideways, smashing bird and rider away. Then she rolled sideways again, trailing her burned wingtip through the sea as she flew toward the shoreline.

There was murder on her mind, but her target wasn’t the remaining bird—Yara and Rua were already dealing with that.

She was going after the ones who remained grounded.

Kaia—

Do this. Kill them. Crunch them.

The riders ? —

First fly, you burn, second fly, I kill.

There was, apparently, no arguing with our queen when she had her mind set on a definitive course of action. And while it did make strategic sense to attack an enemy while they were in disarray, my inner alarm of incoming trouble had suddenly ratcheted up several notches.

When you crunch, try not to bite into the intestines. Remember, these birds produce acidic shit, so you may just burn your mouth if you bite too deep. And please, stay wary, as I really think they’ve something else planned.

I have plan. They die.

Which was a good plan, as far as it went, but a little lacking when it came to dealing with all the finer details an attack entailed.

We flew over the remnants of the port buildings and deeper into the heart of Hopetown. The riders had indeed set up on the grassy strip. As they’d done on Illistin, they’d erected two lines of metal tents—fifteen in all this time—but only ten of those had the birds tethered in front. All were hooded, and I couldn’t immediately see any indication of sentries. Maybe that was because the senses of their birds were sharp enough to alert their riders of any approach, but tension nevertheless ratcheted up several more degrees.

As we swept closer, the birds raised hooded heads and squawked loudly. I tensed immediately, flames pressing at my fingertips to counter whatever response their still absent riders might send our way, but nothing happened. No one ran out of the metal tents. No guns were raised our way.

Kaia— I stopped, finally spotting movement.

Four men had moved out from under the remains of a building and were rolling what looked to be a fat mead barrel on wheels toward open ground near the first tent in the left line. More movement, this time to the right. Another four men with another fat barrel. That nubilous sense of danger crystalized. Kaia, this is definitely a trap. We have to retreat.

No retreat. Her mental tone was determined. Unswayable. I kill them. Now.

Which meant she no longer intended to fly past and allow me to flame them first. I silently cursed her but nevertheless sucked in a deep breath and called to every ounce of fire strength I had left. As she swooped down to begin her murderous fly over, I cast flames to the left and right, aiming for the men and the fat barrels. I cindered three of the men on the left and set that barrel alight, but the fire was quickly extinguished by the survivor. I hit him again, this time sweeping my fire up the barrel and onto his flesh, ensuring he was too busy trying to douse the fire consuming him to worry about the damn barrel. My aim on the right hadn’t been as successful; the barrel was barely singed, and the four men were emerging from the ruins of a wall they must have ducked behind. I flung another stream of fire at them, but my flames were rapidly losing intensity. I pushed more strength into them and set the barrel alight, but the mote in my eye popped, a warning I was fast reaching my limits.

Then Kaia thrust her claws forward, jarring me backwards. As the rope snapped taut, she flew down the line of tethered birds, her claws spearing the first couple then scooping up the next few. She threw them all into the air, then bit through their bodies, crunching through metal and bone. Blood and metal feathers flew everywhere—but not the innards—and still no alarm rang out.

The sense of threat was so damn fierce now I could barely breathe.

Then, from behind us, came a soft whoomp .

I twisted around again and saw smoke drifting from the mouth of the fat barrel on the right. Glanced up, and saw a metal net spreading out, briefly resembling the extended wings of a bird as it flew high above us. Saw the multiple metal cables attached to its tail, leading back to the right barrel and what looked to be a well anchored winch now sitting behind it.

The bastards were intending to net us and then bring us to the ground.

“Kaia,” I yelled, physically and mentally, “we’re about to tangled in a net. You need to go sideways now! ”

Me physically yelling at her finally broke through the haze of her murderous fury, and with a snap of her wings, she veered sharply away. But not fast enough. The falling net snared her left wing and immediately tightened. It brought us to an abrupt halt, and she screeched, a sound of fury and pain combined. How it didn’t break phalanges or wrench her scapula from her shoulder joint, I’ll never know.

She banked her free wing and tried to pull free from the net. When that didn’t work, she snapped at the cables leashing the net to the winch, trying to bite through them, with little effect. Every single move she made had the netting around her wing grow tighter—bite ever deeper—drawing blood and tearing membrane. If it continued, she would not be flight capable. Which, obviously, was the whole point.

I streamed fire at the ropes, but it no longer contained any real heat and had little hope of melting the metal. Kele and Hannity might have more flame strength left than me, but the last thing I wanted was to call in more drakkons and risk them being ensnared. Especially when the cables had started biting into Kaia’s wing even before they’d started to reel us in, suggesting there might well be magic entwined through the metal to either strengthen it or make it more “sticky.”

Luckily, I did have one other trick up my sleeve. Or rather, in the scabbard hooked onto the rope in front of me.

Another whoomp , this time from up ahead. I glanced up, saw another metal net flying toward us. Kaia somehow twisted out of its path, but her left wing remained entangled, her right wing was barely keeping us aloft, and the cables were now being retracted at a faster rate, dragging us closer and closer to the winch and the ground. There were no riders or soldiers down there as yet. No one was attempting to attack us with acidic or flaming shit. Maybe they wanted us contained before they killed us. Or maybe they wanted to examine her and question me.

I’d die before I allowed either to happen.

I needed help. We were doomed if we didn’t get it. It would take some time for the second barrel to be reloaded, so it was now or never when it came to getting free. I contacted Yara and ordered her to sweep down the line of remaining birds and cause chaos. As much as I wanted her to attack the cables attached to the netting or even the winch itself, the men there had weapons at the ready now and would no doubt fire if she came near them. Kele might be able to crisp them before that happened, but that was presuming she did have fire strength left and hadn’t burned out like me. She was the stronger fire witch of the two of us, but it remained a gamble.

As Yara bugled and dropped down to finish what Kaia had started, I ordered Rua to sweep in behind the men up ahead who were attempting to reload their fat barrel. Then I unsheathed my sword, took a deep breath, and disconnected myself from the restraints keeping me on.

What do? Kaia said.

I’m going to cut you free. Extend your leg.

Dangerous to ground.

And we’ll be captured and/or dead if I don’t do it

Not happy.

Neither am I, trust me on that. At her for getting us into this situation, and at me for not being more forceful about my objections.

She extended her front leg. I wasted a second or two watching the desperate sweep of her still-free wing in an effort to get my timing right and avoid being skewered by her wing thumb, then scrambled down her leg and leapt off her claws.

It was a fucking long way down.

I managed to keep my knees slightly bent when I hit to protect my body against the shock of landing, then followed the natural momentum of the fall and rolled forward, keeping my sword arm extended to avoid skewering myself. The ground was awash with stone, broken bits of building, and glass, and even my leathers couldn’t protect me from all of it. A dozen different hotspots of agony flared across my back and buttocks, and warmth trickled wetly down my spine. I ignored it all. I had no time— we had no time—left. The riders manning the winch were shouting, and though I had no idea what they were saying, I very much suspected they were finally calling in reinforcements.

I rolled back onto my feet and charged underneath Kaia and the cables anchoring the net tangled around her wing. If I could slice through the three of them, she could fly free, out of the way of danger. The netting encompassing her wing we could deal with later, once the riders and whatever regular soldiers were headed our way were dealt with.

A whisper of wind stirred across the back of my neck, and I instinctively went sideways. Metal gleamed as it shot past me and thudded into the ground several yards ahead, fletching quivering with the impact.

The bastards might want Kaia captured alive, but they obviously weren’t so fussed about me. I flung my free hand back and swept a stream of fire behind me, trying to create a protective wall more than aiming at anything or anyone in particular. Blood began to pour over my lashes and, deep in my brain, the ache began. I continued to ignore it. Right now, there was nothing else I could do.

As Yara swept up from her first murderous run along the squawking, agitated birds, Rua appeared and swept in, claws first, at the other barrel and the men readying it for use. The latter wisely ran, but Hannity’s fire chased them, turning them to ashes between one long step and another. A heartbeat later, the barrel itself was also ash.

Men, running toward you, came Rua’s thought. Are gold, like riders .

Not Hopetown’s military forces, then. Attack them.

Kill them , she amended and swept away.

Be careful of the metal tubes—remember they spray the acid, I yelled mentally after her. I had no idea if she heard me. She certainly didn’t acknowledge me.

Another arrow, glinting with deadly intent. I batted it away with my sword, then ran between Kaia’s claws and underneath her captured wing. Blood dripped like rain, staining the ground and filling the air with its dark metallic scent.

Yara dropped like a stone from the sky once more and flew down the remaining line of birds, gathering them in her claws and soaring upward again. Once again, she squeezed them until they popped, then dropped them to the ground, their bloody, broken bodies landing wetly all around us. Kaia’s wing at least sheltered me from all that, but the dark rain of her blood was increasing as the ropes bit deeper. Too much more, and she wouldn’t be able to fly.

I reached the first of the three blood-drenched ropes attached to the netting, gripped the sword with both hands, then swung it with all the force I could muster. The blade bit through it with ease, sparks flew—the sort that came with magic rather than fire—and the two severed ends of the rope snapped away, one barely missing my face.

More arrows shot past me, but either the gilded riders were deliberately shooting wide because I was under Kaia, and they didn’t want to risk hitting her—not that these arrows were any likelier to hit anything vital than the others at the port had been—or her wing sweeps were creating enough of a windstorm to alter the trajectory of the arrows.

I ran to the next rope, this time standing slightly to one side as I swung the sword. As it snapped away, Kaia bellowed and thrust back against the remaining one. As it vibrated sharply, I swung the sword a final time and severed the thing, then hunkered down low to avoid the maelstrom caused by Kaia’s wings as she rose.

The net still trailed from the ends of her phalanges, still cutting into bone and membrane. I couldn’t deal with it. Not yet. Not until the threat of another attack had been removed.

Grab you, she said, even as tried to position her claws above me.

No, go, before they snare you again. I’ll take out the bastards reloading the last barrel.

Not safe on ground.

You’re not safe in the air if I don’t get rid of that net caster.

Will be high. Call if want , she grumbled, then rose and swept away, her movements unsteady thanks to the weight of the net still entangled around her wing.

I thrust up and ran through the field of building remains and bloody body parts, heading for the men and the winch. A storm of arrows now flew around me, though I had no idea where the damn archers were hiding. I couldn’t see them, and they obviously couldn’t really see me given the inaccuracy of their attack.

But I knew without a doubt that my luck would run out sooner than later.

Rua , I yelled mentally, even as I desperately signaled to Hannity, find and kill the archers.

What archer?

I sent her a mental image of an arrow and one of a bow I’d seen the rider use.

Do, she said. See.

As she swept away, movement dragged my attention back to the barrel ahead. A lone, helmetless rider had raised a larger than usual tube weapon, stepping out in front of his two companions who were now reloading the barrel. I needed it destroyed. Needed them destroyed.

There was definitely more than a little of our queen’s viciousness residing within me.

I roared in fury, raising my sword, and charged at the rider, even as I cast a sneaky snake of fire toward him, keeping it low to the ground until the very last moment. A wide anticipatory grin stretched the rider’s thick, pale lips, but as his fingers curled around the firing mechanism, I directed my flames into the tube’s barrel, then dropped hard to the ground and threw my hands over my head. The tube exploded, spraying metal and flaming liquid into the air with violent force. Remnants shot all around me but none hit my exposed hands or body. Luck, it seemed, was finally falling my way.

I jumped to my feet and strode toward the man who’d tried to kill me. Half his shoulder and neck had been blown apart by the explosion, and I had no idea how he was even alive, let alone screaming, and though the inner viciousness definitely wanted to drag out his suffering, I resisted and gifted him with death.

I moved on. The barrel had large chunks of metal imbedded into its fat body, one of them spearing all the way through. It was likely enough to render it unusable, but to be sure, I raised the sword and brought it down hard. The force of the impact shuddered up my arms, but the blade easily bit through the wood, and the front end dropped heavily to the ground. I repeated the process at the rear end, cutting away the firing mechanism, then checked his two companions, both of whom were lying in a tangled mess of limbs, bloodied and unmoving. One, at the very least, seemed to be breathing.

I moved closer, my sword held at the ready, but before I could check either man, something sliced into my calf, and red-hot agony exploded through me.

An arrow. It was a fucking arrow....

I stumbled, coming down hard on hands and knees, sucking in deep breaths to battle pain and nausea. From high above came a bellow of utter fury. I immediately reached out to Kaia. I’m fine.

Not. You hurt. Men come.

Of course they fucking did. I sucked in a breath and tried to remain calm. To give in to panic, to act without thinking, would more than likely result in Vahree calling my soul to his kingdom. How many?

Two hands.

Twelve men. Fuck.

I twisted around and saw them, running through the ruins, coming straight at me. They were carrying regular swords and knives rather than the tubes, but given the number of them, it was a pretty good guess the end result would be the same.

Me.

Dead.