I’m acutely aware of three golden spots in the air to our left. It’s impossible to mistake the desert serpents belonging to the Ember King, Maxim.
The serpents have narrow heads reminiscent of ancient dragons, with two long horns similar to a stag’s antlers extending sleekly horizontal to their necks, but no wings or legs. Their bodies snake through the air, remaining airborne through a combination of internal magic and their constant rippling motion.
I’m not surprised to see them, just grateful they aren’t further ahead of us.
But where are the white wolves?
I scan the mountains to my right, seeking the giant predators belonging to Stellen, the Frost King, making out four white specks racing past the mountain edge closest to Perotia. Like the serpents, the wolves are too far away for me to identify their riders or to know which beast carries their king, but I’m certain Stellen is there. Neither of my enemies would leave this task to their generals.
Seconds later, the wolves disappear down the far side of the mountain.
Damn. They’ll reach the village first.
They were always going to have the advantage over me, since they could cut directly across their land while I had to skirt around the bloodlands.
Cassia surges up beside me, her eagle keeping its distance as she calls out, “We can keep the Embers busy in the air and stop them from landing. Just say the word!”
I quickly calculate my best strategy. The Frost Fae are already out of sight. The Embers are in full view. I’mconcerned about Cassia taking on Maxim, but I suspect that he, like me, will focus on the prize and leave his warriors to the skirmish in the air.
I need to find the female Oracle. If I come across the Frost Fae on the way, I’ll deal with them myself.
In fact, I’ll welcome a fight with them. The general who leads Stellen’s army, a woman named Lilis, has carried out relentless strikes on the outposts at the northern side of my kingdom, in one case while Cassia was visiting. I relish the idea of spilling Lilis’s blood the first chance I get.
“Do it!” I roar.
Immediately, Cassia banks to the right, deftly reaching back for the bow and iron-tipped arrows she carries. There’s no better archer in the air than her, not in any of the armies. She’ll keep the Embers well and truly busy.
For myself, I prefer close combat, the double-bladed iron axe I carry at my back having spilled the blood of countless foes.
I urge my eagle higher into the sky, where he will be somewhat camouflaged against the blue, and the sun will make it even more difficult to detect his location.
The moment we rise higher, the back of my neck prickles.
A brief warning.
On instinct, I lean left.
Raging hot fire explodes past me, grazing the right side of my face.
The heat and force of the attack burn part of my helmet right off. Melted steel splatters across the air.
A curse snaps from my lips.
I should have suspected another serpent would be waiting within the sun’s glare.
It can’t be Maxim himself, because it was a coward’sstrike at my back. As much as it begrudges me, Maxim has proven he’ll look his enemy in the eye when he kills them.
I duck low and bank left, trying to locate my attacker, and anticipating their next strike while preparing for it.
A moment later, Cassia’s eagle shoots past me, her shout reaching me over the wind. “Go, Brother! I’ve got this fucking coward!”
She must have doubled back. As she soars directly to my left, a golden serpent suddenly darts out from the sun’s glare, its male rider escaping out toward the ocean, following the path of the fireball he shot at me.
Other than burning off the side of my helmet, he fucking missed me.
In the far distance, the fireball hits the sparkling water and, even above the roaring sea wind, I hear the screams rising from the beach.
I close my heart to the awful sounds.
