Underfae surround Kel. Each time he brings one down, another takes its place. And where are the other princes?
I spin in a circle, searching for them. There, far away, I spot Farron. He’s engulfed in orange flame, shooting fireballs at a buzzing contraption overhead, operated by Perth Quellos. Past him, I catch sight of Dayton. Bright sparks of lightning narrowly avoid him as he runs, trying to get away from the green-haired priestess and her crystal staff.
Finally, I cast my gaze upward. Smoke putters out of the propellers, and there’s a massive hole through the sail, most likely caused by a barrage of arrows. Ezryn is at the wheel, face gritted as he tries to hold it steady. Where once it had been flanked by the great winged birds of the Kryodian Riders, now there are only a dozen riders left. With horror, I watch as one of the hawks is struck in the heart by an arrow and falls to the ground with a dying keen. Its rider is smashed beneath its body as they collide with the bridge.
Ez is right. We don’t have a choice.
We have to retreat.
There’s still Deep Guard all over the bridge, I say to Ez in my mind.Can we evacuate them on the airship?
Caspian’s trying to pull them up where he can, but there’s too many. This ship’s over capacity already. I’ll barely be able to limp us back to Frostfang as it is.
Breath catches in my throat. I stagger in a circle, the horror of the battle crashing over me. Countless soldiers who have dedicated their lives to protecting Winter… We can’t leave them. We can’t just take the ship andrunwhile they’re still fighting.
Isn’t this what I ordered? What I wanted?
Battle? Bloodshed?
No. I wanted to save the lives of those I loved. Instead, my command got Irahn killed.
When my mother was queen, she wouldneverlet this happen. Whatever miracles have existed in the Enchanted Vale, it is because she willed it so.
But I’m not my mother. I haven’t lived five hundred years. When I saved the people of Hadria, it was because we had a plan, time to work things out?—
I don’t know how to save the world.
I don’t belong here.
Why do I have a right to the title of princess?
I can hear my sister’s voice in my head, cruel, resentful.You do not deserve it. Look at you. Soft. Weak. How can someone like you ever think themselves capable of saving anyone?Maybe she was right all this time. She’s grown up in the Vale at least. Maybe Wrenley would know how to protect her people.
Wrenley.
Wren.
My mother’s favorite bird.
The bird I turned my friends into when they needed to escape Spring.
I look down at my hands. Feel the magic surging within me.
I thought I could beat Sira at her own game. Be ruthless like her. Endanger my people for a chance at victory.
But this isn’t the kind of ruler I want to be. And now that I see what destruction this brings, I don’t want it.
My love wasn’t enough to save Wrenley, but it did save Farron and Dayton. And I can’t give up on the hope that it will be enough to save Ez, Kel, and Caspian.
My strength doesn’t allow me to swing a broadsword or change the tides of battle, but that doesn’t mean I’m weak.
My strength lies in my heart, and that’s something I won’t let Sira ever take away.
Without giving myself another moment to consider the possibility that I can’t, I sprint toward the stairs of the bridgehouse. I take the steps two at a time, running to the very top. Then, with the most ungraceful leap imaginable, I grab hold of the awning and pull myself up onto the wooden roof. I guess I should thank Dayton instead of cursing him for all those vigorous gladiator workouts in the arena.
The roof is slanted, but I’m able to make my way up and balance on the middle support beam. From up here, I have a more horrifying vision. The bridge looks like the spine of a carcass, swarming with flies. If flies had horns.
An arrow whizzes past my ear. I look down to see several underfae archers nocking their bows. I won’t let fear stop me.
