I was glad we’d taken the humans to the tower. They would have been forced out of their homes regardless.
Fenella stood beside me, cloaked in sapphire. A powerful broadsword was strapped to her back, and a quiver of arrows sat by her feet. She’d attached her two daggers to her thighs. Many other warriors had done the same. If the enemy breached our barrier, we would rain arrows on their heads. I’d hoped to flame the arrows before each volley, but the heavy rains made that impossible.
Tessa appeared beside me, returning from her visit to the Crones. She wore her brown leather fighting leathers and my mended cloak to hide her face from the gods. She’d braided her hair, though strands had already come loose from the wind and rain battering us all. Her eyes looked haunted, and her hands were a little shaky. Gaven was with her, and he gave me a solemn nod. I frowned. Something had gone wrong up there.
“What happened?” I asked her.
“The Crones attacked me. Gaven had to kill them.”
“What?” That made little sense. Despite their strange actions earlier, they’d never been anything but harmless. Strange, yes. But hardly a threat.
The symphony of war grew louder, drawing my attention away. Through the rain and swirling mist, the enemy was a stretch of shadow, backlit by the occasional flash of lightning. It was difficult to make out their formation, but it was clear we were far outnumbered, particularly against the unit I’d brought with me to the bridge.
We were three score. They were thousands.
Fenella leaned across me and reached for Tessa’s hand. My wife held tight to my friend and gave her a nod. Fenella said, “I am glad to be fighting beside you, my queen.”
Tessa smiled. “You really don’t need to calm me that, Fenella.”
“I know. But now seems the right time, don’t you think? These might be the last moments we share, and I want you to understand that you’ve become as dear to me as Kalen is.”
I could have sworn there was a tear in Fenella’s eye.
“Then call me friend, call me family.” Tessa stepped around me and embraced Fenella. “And I’m honored to fight byyourside. You’re one of the best damned people I’ve ever met.”
“All right,” Gaven said, clearing his throat. He looked a bit emotional as well. “Let’s stop acting like we’re all going to die today, eh? We’re going to beat these bastards. And we even get to do it in a rain-battle.”
Fenella laughed and moved back to her post beside me. “Only you would find pleasure in rain like this. You sure you weren’t born a storm fae?”
“I actually find this quite miserable, but look at the beasts next time the lightning flashes,” he said, pointing at the shadowy expanse across the chasm. “They’re much heavier than we are, and they’re going to struggle in all this mud.”
I stood up a little straighter, watching closely when the lightning briefly illuminated the enemy army. The beasts were near to the bridge, but they were moving slowly. Their legs and powerful claws were trapped in a thick layer of mud.
“You’re right,” I murmured.
“Of course I’m right. You didn’t ask me to join your Mist Guard for my fighting skills.” He tapped his forehead.
I continued to watch the beasts at every flash of lightning. Now that the army was only a few hundred meters from the edge of the chasm, I could see their formation more clearly. The gods had vanished from the front lines. Not surprising. They were likely flying through the clouds to gain a better view of our numbers.
Thankfully, they wouldn’t be able to pierce the barrier, and we held no gemstone lanterns to illuminate ourselves. They would see very little of us, just as we could see very little of them.
Heavy footsteps sloshed through the mud from behind us. I turned, alarmed. No one else was due to join us at the bridge. But Toryn came toward us through the pounding rain, leading a horse. Nellie was with him, too. Both were decked in fighting leathers. Toryn was armed with his spear while Nellie carried a familiar-looking axe. As they drew closer, I recognized the weapon as the one Val had found in Teine, hidden in the local pub.
When Toryn reached us, he quickly said, “Before you say anything—”
“You and Nellie were to help Mykon lead the warriors on the city’s battlements,” I said. “It was an order.”
Toryn smiled. “I suppose I’ve spent too much time around Niamh.”
I barked out a laugh. Toryn came in for a hug, and we pounded each other on the backs. When he pulled away, I said to him, “I’m glad you came, even if you did defy my orders.”
“Silver?” Tessa reached out and rubbed her horse’s snout. “Why’s he here?”
“He followed me out. I couldn’t stop him. Trust me, I tried,” Nellie said.
A crease formed between Tessa’s eyes. “This isn’t your place. You could get hurt out here.”
She’d told me all about Midnight and what he’d done for her. And by the way she spoke of it, I knew his sacrifice was one of her deepest regrets.
