Slowly, her gaze returns to Kaelus, and I hold my breath, waiting for her response.
“Why rule beside you when I can just take the whole fucking thing?”
With a swift motion, Zyphoro extends her hand, and an arrow of smoke streaks through the air, aimed straight for Kaelus. He barely has time to react as the sharp tip pierces the side of his neck, blood erupting from the wound and spraying Lanneth’s face, soaking her ivory gown.
“Damn it. Missed,” Zyphoro hisses.
Kaelus drops to one knee, clamping a hand over his neck as Lanneth screams, her voice a high-pitched wail that echoes like a chorus of tortured souls, hollow and endless, as if drawn from the void itself.
“Bring her to me!”
A wave of black wings erupts into the air, the thunderous snap drowning out the storm as the Blades take flight.
“This is it,” I murmur, swallowing the last vestiges of doubt that threaten to choke me.
There’s no time for hesitation now.
The Blades on the bow turn toward me, and I brace myself for their treachery. But instead, they draw their swords, the metallic ring resonating in unison.
“For Princess Amara!” one bellows as they unleash their wings, soaring to meet their brothers and sisters in battle.
Zyphoro’s lips curve into a smirk. “Guess I was wrong. Excellent.” Her eyes widen at the flood of Blades pouring from the fortress, surging toward the ship. “But now would be a good time to call for Daedalus.”
To delay the attack, Zyphoro conjures a wall of smoke that erupts between the advancing Blades and the ship, soaring skyward and halting them in their tracks. But I know it won’t last.
I look to the stormy sky, rain pelting my face and wind whipping through my hair. With every ounce of my heart—my fear, my passion, my strength—I call into the night, “Daed!”
Suddenly, the sound of wings on the wind silences everything else, and when I glance east, I see a wave of warriors descending upon Baev’kalath, with Daed at the forefront and a Fae lord sporting a shock of copper hair at his side. Lord Reon and the warriors of Eyr’Drogul have joined our fight, and as they clash with the Ebon Flight, their fury tears apart the night, forcing the storm to tremble before them.
Chapter 38
The ring of steel echoes like thunder as I descend the ramp, my heart lodged in my throat. I gaze up at the tumultuous sky, where the battle unfolds—so far out of my reach. The Blades clash with the warriors of Eyr’Drogul, swords sparking violently as they meet in midair.
Their cries form a haunting cacophony, thick with rage and desperation, striking each other down with brutal force. Bodies plummet from the sky, crashing into the courtyard below with sickening thuds.
I lock my eyes on Daed, fierce and unwavering as he navigates the chaos like a tempest, his wings slicing through the rain-soaked air. Each powerful strike sends foes sprawling, infused with the raw strength of the void. Beside him, Zyphoro moves with fluid grace, her smoke blades flickering like black flames in the night.
Yet above it all, Lanneth looms on the balcony, her gaze sharp and calculating. My jaw clenches, and my hands curl into tight fists at my sides. I wasn’t always this way—bent on vengeance and tainted by hate. The Fae have shaped me, I am certain ofthat. The darkness growing within me is a seed they planted, flourishing in Baev’kalath, as if returning here has made its roots stronger.
I hate her. I hate her for everything she’s put me through, for what she’s turned me into, and for the power she exerts over Daed, a power that threatens to tear us apart. He will never be truly mine as long as she controls him.As long as she lives.
Solena’s wings burst from her back, the sword gripped tightly in her hand. “Come, Amara. I’ll carry you,” she offers.
I shake my head, my gaze fixed on Lanneth, nails digging into my palm until I draw blood. “I will get there myself.”
Solena scans our surroundings, confusion flickering in her eyes, but she doesn’t need to understand.
“Come, Ashen,” I whisper, and he slinks from my hair, pattering along my shoulder before arching his back and stretching with a long yawn. I smile, scratching under his chin, and he responds with a soft purr. “Alright. Show me what you can do.”
As if he understands, Ashen leaps from my shoulder, landing deftly on the dock. His body jerks, shoulders and legs kicking out, fur rippling as he grows larger. A charcoal ruff flecked with silver frames his lion’s head, and four massive paws pound against the wood. Then, with a thunderous roar, wings etched with smoke burst from his back. He glances over his shoulder, flapping them as if figuring out how they work. But we will learn together.
I approach slowly, burying my hand in his smoky coat and scratching the top of his head. Ashen melts into my touch, his wispy whiskers twitching with each caress. Carefully, I circle around him and climb onto his back, mindful of where the wings sprout from his shoulders. He allows it, padding his feet on the dock, and I grip handfuls of his mane.
My heart thumps in my chest, my stomach twisted in knots. But I didn’t come this far to dwell on fear. I look at Solena, and I see the same doubts mirrored on her face.
“Unafraid,” I say firmly.
She nods, a determined glint in her eye. “Unafraid.”
