I gave him a look. “Pretty sure I’m not the annoying one in this friendship.”
Chuckling, he gave Val a once-over. “Want some tips?”
“As long as your tip isn’t that I should stay on this ship, then by all means,” Val said.
I fought back a smile.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He pointed at the dagger she’d sheathed on her hip. “This is a very short-ranged weapon. It won’t do you much good until the enemy is right in your face. You’ll have your chance to fight. It’s inevitable. But you should stay close to me and Niamh in the beginning. Don’t rush in unless we need help. Stay back otherwise. Then when chaos descends, channel every ounce of fear and anger and hope and passion into your attacks. Don’t go after a fae with a bow and arrow, and the stay the fuck away from any elite storm fae. Just be smart about it, eh?”
She nodded emphatically. “Got it.”
The ship creaked as it slowed, sand scraping against the bow. I held on to the railing and waited. Val and Alastair followed suit. When the ship had finally stopped, Vera appeared beside us and tossed a ladder rope over the side.
“It’s time,” she said.
A score of human soldiers rushed past us and scaled down the ladder. Once they were done, Vera motioned for us to go next. Alastair went first. Val followed. I rounded out the rear of our party. Just as my feet hit the beach, another score of humans started their descent. All around us, ships were emptying their forces into the cove. There were hundreds already in formation on the beach. I watched, wishing I could conjure hope, but no matter how many fighters we had, it wouldn’t be enough.
Not against the gods.
As the humans gathered in groups, Val, Alastair, and I joined Vera at the front lines.
I almost fell over when I spotted the king, deep in conversation with his closest confidants.
“Well, fuck me,” Alastair muttered.
King Duncan Hinde looked tired and haggard. Deep red veins streaked across his face. They wound down the length of his neck and continued into the front of his robe. When he saw me staring, he excused himself from his conversation and walked over.
“I suppose you’re wondering how I’m here,” he said in a weary voice. “One of my ships found me floating on some debris. I was unconscious. In their worry for me, they thought to return me to Talaven. When I woke and realized what they’d done, I insisted they turn around. Simple mistake, really. They were just doing what they thought was best for their king.”
He was lying. His breath reeked of it. And he knew we’d be able to tell.
A warrior mounted his horse, then blew the war horn. All the gathered human soldiers fell silent. The king moved away to join them. I watched, frowning. Why would he lie to us about what had happened to him? He hadn’t even tried to hide the falsehoods.
“What’s wrong?” Val whispered.
“I’m not certain,” I said slowly. “Just…be on your guard around the king. Better yet, let’s stay far away from him during the battle. He’s hiding something.”
I didn’t get any more time to ponder. The warrior blew the horn once more, and we were off. The army surged forward, and ranks closed in tight. As soon as we left the beach, the storm crackled overhead. Wind sprayed heavy rain into our faces. We were drenched in seconds. Our forward motion slowed as mud sloshed around our boots.
In the distance, a contingent of storm fae spotted our approach. Shouts erupted from their company. I tightened my grip on my bow as they charged.
The battle for our world had truly begun.
Forty-Seven
Tessa
Our side of the bridge erupted into chaos. Warriors launched onto the scorpion beast while lightning struck the barrier again. The gods had yet to show themselves, but I could sense them in the skies. They were swirling through the stormy clouds, watching our unit battle helplessly against the inevitable.
As soon as they destroyed the barrier, their army would charge.
Strangled yells erupted from the dying fae. As the scorpion beast slashed the throat of yet another warrior, I grabbed Nellie’s arm and pulled her farther from the fray. Angry lightning crashed down from above, burning the grass where we’d just been standing.
“This was not the plan,” Nellie whispered, wide-eyed.
“The gods were always going to do something unexpected.” I looked around, searching for a place Nellie could find shelter. She noticed what I was doing and pulled away.
“I’m not running, Tessa,” she said stubbornly. I could see a reflection of myself in her eyes. Brave and reckless with so much heart. But that heart was edged in anger. Andromeda’s power ran through her veins, just as it did in mine, and she was not immune to its call. She felt a desperation to fight. So did I.
