The muscles on Kavon’s face tightened. “Retreat,” he shouted. The golem-maker ran to his side—only one small golem left as Frodi had baked the big one and hacked it to pieces with the help of Verglas soldiers.
The binder turned on his heels and ran. His hold on Rakel shattered when Farrin threw his scabbard and hit the man in the back of the head.
Freed, Rakel almost fell flat on her face. She caught herself just in time and then struck out with her magic, making snow and ice erupt in front of the Chosen magic users, cornering them and cutting them off.
The wolves scattered, running back to the woods.
“Constanza!” Kavon shouted.
The alchemist—freed from Eydìs’s ropes—ripped several vials and a pouch from her belt. She threw them down on the ground. The vials shattered and spewed out a foul smelling smoke that made Rakel’s eyes water and her throat sting.
Someone grabbed her, and Rakel puffed up and reached for her magic, then realized she recognized that warm touch and let Farrin guide her out of the smoke.
She gasped for breath when she stepped into the fresh air and wiped her eyes. She tapped her magic and blasted wind through the ruins, clearing the smoke off.
Kavon and his few remaining magic users were nowhere to be seen. Apparently they had abandoned their injured and unconscious comrades.
“Regroup and prepare to head out,” General Halvor cleaned his sword on a square of cloth. Steinar stood next to him, holding a sword flecked with blood. “We need to meet up with the main force as soon as possible.”
Phile checked over Foedus. “Do you think Tenebris plans to attack them?”
General Halvor studied the village. “It’s a possibility.”
Oskar clasped him on the shoulder. “What is it?”
General Halvor sighed. “Two of those Chosen magic users were in the group my men and I chased to the Kozlovka border during the attack of Dovre.”
The words Halvor didn’t say hung in the air.They came back. We beat them off, and they came back. How can we win a war when they keep coming back?
“Come on, Little Wolf.” Phile coughed, clearing the scratch in her voice. “Let’s go find Frigid and get mounted up.”
Rakel moved to follow her but paused. “We did well,” she said as the magic users and soldiers checked their weapons.
Bunny—back in her human body with Crow hovering at her shoulder—snorted. “We did no such thing. We faced eight magic users and got pounded.”
Rakel stood taller and adapted her royal bearings. “Those eight magic users were trained for combat. We have been working together for just a few weeks, and most Verglas magic users are poorly trained. We did well.”
Bunny met her gaze and gave her a crooked smile and a playful bow. “We did, Snow Queen.”
Rakel kept her face pleasant, but after Kavon’s words, Bunny’s evaluation felt like a kick in the gut.Am I that much like Tenebris?
“Little Wolf?”
“Coming.” Rakel followed her friend to the various horses and ponies—and reindeer, in Rakel’s case—the party had ridden. She glanced north—towards Ensom Peak and her castle.I was able to push magic into the magic-leech, and I could feel every ice structure in the country that I had made. I wonder…could I use that somehow?
CHAPTER 14
CONCEALED TACTICS
Rakel stood in the shadows and watched the happy activity in the camp. The Verglas forces had set up their new headquarters much farther south and had been there for over a week. It had been a bit of an adjustment—going from hills and forests to the plains and fields that made up the majority of the southern lands—but they had reconnected with the resistance force and saved a handful of towns and villages.
Soon, though, they would have to face Tenebris.
However, almost everyone in the camp was occupied with celebrating their most recent round of wins. It was dusk, and smoky-sweet smells beckoned from every campfire. Oskar—standing with Pordis and Hilda—oozed charm, making the ladies laugh. Steinar wassmilingand talking to several of Halvor’s officers, while the grim-faced general looked astonishingly relaxed listening to Liv and Snorri.
Farrin chatted with Knut while he kept an eye on Kai. The little boy played with Gerta and several children from the resistance movement who had joined up with them.
It was beautiful to see all the people she loved talking and laughing, but she couldn’t shake the thought of the mirror and Tenebris. The burden weighed on Rakel’s shoulders without mercy. If they defeated the Chosen, in several decades, would she become the next threat to Verglas? The thought made her shiver.My magic is strong, and I have so much of it…no.It was her choice, and she had chosen Verglas. Verglas needed this war to end, so she had to finish it with as few losses as possible.
