“We know exactly who we fight against,” Aelerion thundered. “You aligned yourselves with Deidamia immediately upon her arrival. Betrayed our kind. Your obsession with power is an insult to all of us.”
Lava swirled on the ground in front of his feet, his anger at the traitorous ice queen barely contained.
“Obsession with power? That’s what you think this is about?” She took several slow steps forward and the soldiers in the front lines all moved their hands to their weapons. “It’s not just about power. It’s about purity. For hundreds of years, the fae have been intermingling. Breeding with each other. Creating hybrids and diluting powerful bloodlines.”
Casimir tensed beside Ava at the mention of hybrids.
“I’m the only one left who still cares to fix that. Vardan wanted to.” Her eyes flicked to Ava. “Your father agreed the different kingdoms shouldn’t mix.” Her gaze moved to Casimir. “So did yours. But they wereweak.Now Vardan’s dead and Orion hides in his castle in the clouds, too spineless to do anything about it. But I’m not a coward. I know what this world could be, and I won’t hesitate to make it that way.”
Ava knew her father wasn’t a kind ruler. Thorne had told her he was cruel, strict and verbally abusive to him and their mother. But she hadn’t known his prejudice against hybrids went so deep.
Valeria backed away, her eyes still on the force standing before her. With a wave of her hand, the snowy ground behindher collapsed, revealing a hidden cavern filled to the brim with daemon soldiers and ice fae.
“Protect our kingdom!” she yelled at her forces. “They came to destroy us! They want power for themselves!”
“Fuck this insane woman,” Raine mumbled. “I suppose we’re fighting now.”
“Ready yourself,” Casimir said to Ava, then kissed her forehead and joined Maeryn in barking orders.
“Remember all of your training,” Quinn said, unsheathing one of her many daggers.
Ava dipped her head as she took a steadying breath and drew her bow.
“Soldiers of Igneothenia!” yelled Maeryn. “You’re on the front lines!”
Daemons and ice fae climbed out of their makeshift hideout and marched forward, their own leaders yelling orders. The queen had disappeared, not even willing to fight to uphold the lie she just told her people.
As soon as the signal was given, Ava and the other archers released a volley of arrows at the approaching force, now sprinting toward them with their weapons and magic ready.
“Hold the line!” Casimir yelled as the enemy force clashed with theirs.
Ava released arrow after arrow as Quinn created golems to fight alongside them. The giants smashed enemy soldiers with ease, armor crumpling under their massive fists. Screams mixed with the clang of steel as Ava felled as many enemies as she could, picking off those who escaped the golems.
But it wasn’t long before the daemons and ice fae broke through. Trading her bow for her sword, Ava gripped her blade and prepared for impact.
A daemon in black armor snarled as he sprinted toward her, sword in his hand. Ava rose a flower from the ground and encased him in a flash, wrapping it in vines.
Before he had a chance to cut his way out, lava inched its way up the flower, burning the daemon alive.
“That was fun,” a soldier from Igneothenia said, his yellow eyes bright. “Let’s keep doing it.”
So she paired with him, trapping enemy after enemy as he burned them as fast as she could catch them, her giant flowers a colorful display in a sea of white and black and gray. They continued their technique, making headway in their battle.
“Behind you!” he shouted.
Ava spun, ducking as a spear of ice zoomed for her. Lunging with her faithful sword—her mother’s sword, Silverglow—she impaled the fae, his body collapsing as she withdrew her blade. She took a chance to glance at the soldier who had been helping her, but he was now locked in his own battle.
On her left, a daemon swung his weapon. With a spin, she parried, her arm vibrating as she deflected his blow. He came at her again and she blocked him, their blades locked at her throat.
“You aren’t stronger than I,” he snarled in her face.
“That may be true,” she said through clenched teeth, her arms shaking as she pushed back. “But I’m smarter.”
A thorny root wrapped around his neck, squeezing and decapitating him in seconds, spraying Ava with black daemon blood.
“Nice trick!” Pax appeared beside her, spearing an approaching soldier.
“No time for jokes, Pax!”
