“It-it’s a ghost army, sir.” The man’s face was white with shock as he fought against Gideon’s grip. “Th-they’re slaughtering us!”
He ripped himself free and kept running.
Laila stopped another man in uniform. “What’s happening? How outnumbered are we?”
The soldier gripped his arm where blood soaked through his coat. He’d clearly been shot. “Hard to say.” His breathing came in shallow gasps. “You can’t see them. You only feel their bullets. They’re cloaked by witches’ spells. We don’t even know where to shoot.”
He too stumbled away, calling back to them: “You should run. We were all told to retreat.”
Laila glanced at Gideon.
Where did you retreat if your enemy was invisible?
“We need to tell Noah.”
Gideon scowled. “Youwarn your brother. I’m going to get a closer look.”
He needed to see this for himself.
“Gideon, I don’t think—”
Another round of gunfire drowned out Laila’s voice. Reluctantly, she followed.
Soon they were in the thick of it, weaving through back alleys where the city’s edge met the harbor. The air was smoky, and the smell of ash mingled with magic and gunpowder. Some soldiers had stayed behind and were still firing. But they seemed to be firing on empty air.
And the air was firing in return, felling them one by one.
Fall back, you idiots.
Using the wall of a fish merchant’s shop as cover, Gideon shifted to look further out. Beside him, Laila drew her gun.
He now had a wider view of the burning wharf. Through the smoke, a massive fleet of ships appeared offshore, each one bearing Soren Nord’s emblem. In between those ships and the harbor front were hundreds of rowboats full of soldiers, each one carrying a witch.
With the Republic’s army in retreat, it seemed there was no longer a need to keep them veiled beneath spells of invisibility. Instead, magical shields protected them, repelling their enemies’ bullets.
Gideon’s gaze snagged on one boat in particular. Cressida seemed to hold court even there, in that scuffed little dory. She wore a black lace dress, and a circlet of roses crowned her pale head. Her eyes stared hungrily at the city. As if she were about to swallow it whole.
How is this possible?
Rune was supposed to break the alliance by refusing to marry the prince.
“Gideon… we need to go.” Laila grabbed his arm, tugging. But Gideon couldn’t tear his eyes away from Soren’s army advancing on them, with Cressida at its helm.
Rune was supposed to stop this from happening. She’dpromisedhim. This alliance was predicated on Soren marrying Rune. If Soren’s army was here, blitzing the hell out of them, Rune hadn’t called off the wedding after all.
Or worse: she’s already married to him.
It was a blow to Gideon’s heart.
Was he an idiot? Had this been Rune’s plan all along?
No.Gideon scattered his doubts.She wouldn’t do this.
He believed that.
But if Rune had kept her part of their bargain—or worse, beenforcedto keep it…
“Gideon!” whispered Laila. “We need to gonow.”
