Page 51

Daimon

The moment Daimon stepped back into his cabin, a smile still on his face, he found Keir waiting for him.

“Word came from Beta Fleet Ten,” he said. “Rebels were spotted returning through the cavern where we saw them last. We’ve decided to launch an offensive and clear them out of the mountain range. We leave at dawn.”

Daimon had always known their brief bubble wouldn’t last. There was still a war to fight. And with Evelina’s light power, they could finally push the enemy out past the border.

The rest of the night was a blur, hardly giving him time to see Evelina as the army prepared for the attack and she trained with Gloriana and Brielle to shield.

He had so much more to lose now. Evelina had shown her skill on patrols before, but the rebels they encountered were still battles they won fairly easily.

This time would be different; it would be war in a way Evelina had never seen.

“Today we fly into battle.” Daimon stared into the faces of his Alpha Fleet, along with hundreds of ground soldiers. Keir stood beside him, his presence calming Daimon’s nerves. “The Alpha Fleet will fly ahead, leaving the betas to remain stationed around the empire. Soldiers stationed with the naval fleet on the coast are being diverted to us, so the betas will be covering the gaps of coverage in that area and beyond.”

Keir nodded and cleared his throat. “We’ll track the cave we saw them at and delve deeper into the mountains from there. If we spot their army from the skies, we’ll send two riders back to prepare the ground troops for what’s to come.”

Daimon saw Evelina hug Gloriana out of the corner of his eye. He fought to keep his gaze fixed forward, but it drifted back toward her as Keir spoke.

“Be ready for anything. May Eurydice’s light guide us all back home.”

The soldiers prepared to leave.

This was it. Their chance to secure a stronger foothold on the border.

Daimon pulled Evelina closer as Zephyr flew above the clouds. The fleet was spread out, giving them time to be alone. He dragged his mouth along the curve of her neck, cold chills pebbling her skin with each kiss he pressed against her. He would savor every moment with her he possibly could.

They couldn’t see the mountains beneath them, but Daimon could feel them. The pull in his chest was tugging him toward them, as it had every time they’d swept along the mountains.

He spread his hand out on her waist, holding her tight and breathing her in. The scent of lilies that clung to her chased away the feeling in his chest. He could breathe a little easier, think a little clearer.

Zephyr slowed, and a pang of worry shot down their bond. He patted her neck, her scales prickly and tense.

“What’s out there?” he whispered to her.

They had flown so high above the clouds that the forest below was entirely obscured. It made for good coverage from any unwanted eyes on the ground, but also left them unable to see what was happening.

“Daimon, something’s wrong,” Brielle shouted from his right, breaking through the clouds along with the rest of the fleet.

He twisted around, bringing one arm tighter around Evelina’s waist. The wyverns were all restless. They were shaking their heads and nipping at one another, their wings beating rapidly as they tried to slow down and hover in the same spot. Zephyr snapped her jaws, gaining the beasts’ attention.

“We need to get below the clouds,” he commanded. He turned to Keir on his left and added, “Brielle, fan out but keep formation. Keir, I want you further back and low. Willow and Aster, keep close and stay side by side. Ranick and Elias, flank us on the sides.”

Daimon faced forward, his heart racing. The hairs on his neck stood on end and his blood thrummed with adrenaline. He could feel a slimy darkness beneath them, something that wasn’t natural—wasn’t of this world.

“Do you feel that?” Evelina whispered.

Daimon nodded and pulled her closer. “Tell me the plan again.”

Evelina swallowed and recited her shielding plan as she always did. His heart slowed a fraction as she repeated what she was supposed to do if they saw rebels, and especially if they saw Furies.

Making such a strong attack against the rebels meant he needed to focus on being the commander. He couldn’t let his judgment be clouded, or he would be putting her—and his entire unit—in danger.

With a nudge on Zephyr’s bond, she descended. For a moment, they soared through the clouds. A white haze was all he could see, the coverage so thick that the rest of his unit disappeared around him.

Zephyr broke into clear skies first, and for a moment, it looked like the usual mountainous forest. The tops of the mountains were snowcapped as they always were, an eternal winter at their height. Further down, trees and small, open clearings peppered the mountainside. Small valleys ran between the steep slopes, with creek beds and flowing rivers running through.

Everything seemed normal—a mountain range they’d swept through countless times. Peaceful, even.

He heard them before he saw them. The faint clinking of metal along with the unnatural sounds of screeching creatures. A sickening smell hit him next, one that reeked of death and burning flesh.

Like a vein being corrupted, the rebels filled and flowed through one of the valleys, storming along the bank of a river. They were like a thousand ants swarming their nest.

Evelina gasped, and within seconds, the familiar warmth of her shield wrapped around him. It pressed against his skin, pulling him into a comforting embrace that cleared his head.

“Where did they all come from?” she gasped.

Daimon didn’t answer; at this point, it didn’t matter. This was it. He could feel it deep in his bones. And instead of his body screaming for him to get away, it was singing, as if welcoming him home.

“We work as a team,” he called out over his shoulder. “Stay together and watch each other’s backs. You are all prepared for this.”

He couldn’t see them, but he knew the Valon ground troops would be spread out on the other side of the mountain range, awaiting any incoming rebels to cut them off before they could pass. But the rebels weren’t all heading for the mountains. One of the veins of soldiers splintered off, heading in the direction of Drogheda.

“Keir,” he shouted, gaining the Aegis’s attention.

Keir’s gaze flickered to the troops headed for Drogheda, then back to Daimon. The moment they locked eyes, he knew they were thinking the same thing.

“We divert the westernmost troops to converge just before the edge of Drogheda,” Daimon commanded. He nodded to Ranick and Elias next. “Do not engage with any rebels. Fly straight to the western edge and cover the soldiers as they shift positions. Beta Fleet Seven should be along the water’s edge just before Drogheda. They can take over from there.”

They each nodded once and tapped their fists in unison across their chest twice, as they always did, before breaking away.

Daimon veered Zephyr around, facing his fleet. They were formed into a V, with Daimon at the point. “You were chosen as the elite aerial unit because you’ve proven you can handle yourselves when push comes to shove. We need to do as much damage as we can to help the ground soldiers. We give no mercy. We take no prisoners. For the Valon Empire and those the rebels have slain, we will not lose here today.”