“What is she doing here, Brielle?” Daimon demanded, his eyes wide with anger.
“No time,” Brielle said quickly—firmly. “There are about twenty rebels beyond the ridge. They’ve already heard Vero and will likely be preparing for a ranged attack.”
Daimon hissed in frustration but nodded his understanding. He wouldn’t even look at Evelina, as if unable to bear her presence there.
“Keep her as far back as you can,” he said sharply. “We drop down once they’re directly below us. If we’re quick enough, we can end this in one strike.”
Keir and Brielle nodded. Daimon’s eyes flicked to Evelina before turning and patting Zephyr.
She struggled to decipher the difference between his disdain and his desperate care for her, fumbling around the mixed signals of his concern and his disregard.
But there was no time to think.
“Keir.” With the one word, Daimon had the attention of theAegis, his eyes sharpening as he maneuvered Codax beside Zephyr without hesitation.
Evelina watched with a mix of horror and awe as the two wyverns nosedived out of the sky simultaneously. Vero flapped his wings restlessly.
“Steady,” Brielle whispered.
Screams sounded below, followed by a roar from one of the wyverns. The roar wasn’t a battle cry—it was a screech of pain.
“Hold on!” Brielle shouted. Vero dropped out of the sky, his wings tucked in tight to his sides. Wind hit Evelina so hard she could hardly open her eyes. Her hair whipped behind her as she squeezed Brielle’s waist as tightly as she could.
The battle had made its way to a clearing in the trees—or one that had been burned away, at least. Keir was shooting fire at the group while Codax swept them close to the ground. Brielle brought Vero beside Codax and released a torrent of fire.
“No magic suppressant!” Keir shouted over at them. “My fire is holding strong.”
Evelina’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. She glanced up, looking for Daimon. Zephyr hovered high above them with Daimon on her back, dodging arrows from all sides. His gaze flickered to Evelina, his eyes sweeping up and down her body like a soldier assessing another for injury. Concern tugged at his brows as his eyes met hers. Her throat constricted as she caught a glimpse of what was coming; an arrow headed straight toward him.
She opened her mouth to scream—to warn him. But it was too late, the arrow slicing across his chest before she could make a sound.
Daimon slumped against his wyvern, his arm dangling over the side of her neck. If he had already passed out, he had to be losing blood—fast. Panic clawed at Evelina’s chest. Her healer training kicked in, her mind already working through the small window of time they would have to get the bleeding under control.
Zephyr reared back and exposed her belly more, shielding Daimon almost entirely.
“I need you to get me to Daimon,” Evelina shouted at Brielle.
Brielle looked up and growled in frustration. “We have to take care of these?—”
“On your right!” Keir shouted.
An arrow flew straight at them. Evelina screamed, her life flashing before her eyes as the arrow flew toward her head. She closed her eyes and waited for the searing pain, for the few breaths it would take for her to bleed out and die.
But the pain didn’t come. Maybe it happened so quickly she had already passed on to Caelum.
“Princess,” Brielle breathed.
Evelina slowly—cautiously—opened her eyes.
The arrow was hovering in front of her face, frozen in midair, the tip inches away from her forehead. Brielle reached forward, her fingers trembling as she plucked the arrow from where it was stopped. The iron-tipped head was carved with dark runes, a soft, pulsing glow emanating from it.
“How did you do that?” Evelina gasped.
Brielle held the arrow out and then looked back at Evelina, eyes wide. “I didn’t do that,” she said slowly. “You did.”
Vero roared and dropped out of the sky, hurtling toward the ground as another cursed arrow whizzed past them. Evelina didn’t have time to process Brielle’s words. There were only a couple of rebels left now. Brielle and Keir took them out within minutes, but Evelina’s head was still spinning.
Keir guided Codax to the trees, doing a final sweep to ensure they got them all. Once he gave the all-clear, Brielle raced up toward Daimon. Zephyr whined. Evelina could swear she saw panic in the beast’s golden eyes.
