I look back at the clouds. At least a dozen scravers are dark shapes against the sky.
A dozen.We have no idea how many Truthbringers are coming.
I glance across the workshop again. Tycho holds up a closed fist and shakes his head.
I don’t know all their military symbols, but I know this one.Don’t shoot.
My heart keeps pounding, begging me to disobey. The scravers are growing closer now, becoming larger shapes against the sky, with wings in various colors. I remember my awe when they came to Briarlock once before, descending from the sky in the midst of our battle against the Truthbringers. But then, they came to help.
This time feels very different.
Ice is forming along the exposed iron in the forge, crystals crawling along my anvil and tools. As I watch, flecks of ice appear on my bow, too.
When I exhale, it comes out in a stream of white, and I shiver.
I glance across the workshop, and Tycho shakes his head again.
It’s so odd to think I was right here months ago, a different bow in my hands, the king offering a litany of instructions— mostly warnings of whatnotto do.
Don’t waste your arrows. Take time to aim. Don’t wait to see if your arrow strikes true. Either it does or it doesn’t. Find your next shot.
Don’t forget to breathe.
I need that last reminder right now, because I have to force air into my lungs. Every muscle on my frame is as taut as this bowstring. The scravers are close enough for me to take a shot, and my fingers are itching to loose an arrow. I could take down two of them right now— I know I could.
But when I glance across the workshop, Tycho doesn’t even look my way. He gives one sharp, fierce shake of his head.
I understand why. The instant I shoot one arrow, they’ll know where we are.
I can take down two, but we can’t take themall.
The voice that carries on the wind is familiar, but there’s a flicker of power behind it that hurts my head when I hear it.
— We know you’re here, little magesmith.
My heart skips. It must be Xovaar. I heard him last night.
If he’s flying, he clearly healed the damage I caused. Is Karyl with him? Did Xovaar make her more powerful in the way Tycho is more powerful?
The scravers swoop wide, changing direction, looping to circle back over the trees behind the barn. My heart stumbles, not understanding— but then I realize that this is exactly what we hoped for. We’re under cover, and the winged creaturesdon’tknow where we are.
Yet.
— Karyl isn’t far behind,the scraver continues.—We’ll flush you out.
This is our plan. This is exactly what we wanted. Lure them here, yet hide in the buildings where they don’t have the advantage of flight and weather.
The scravers begin to fly out of my range of vision, and my heart trips and falls again. I nearly inch forward, out of the shadows, but I have to force myself still. I can’t look. I can’tmove. These creatures have such keen senses, and even the slightest motion will draw their focus.
But the scravers circle around the barn to where I can see them again, several of them dropping to land on the roof. One of them shrieks, the sound splitting the air. Another one shrieks more loudly, and I wince.
I wonder if they can sense Nakiis and Igaa inside.
Just as I have the thought, the wind kicks up wildly, snow spinning from the sky. In any other situation, I’d be fascinated at the way snow is falling on a summer day, and I’d be begging him to make it happenover and over again. But just now, I know it’s Tycho, and I know his magic is responding to the scravers closing in on Nakiis.
Despite everything, I know he sees him as a friend— or at least something close.
Despiteallof this, I know he wants to protect him.
