Evelina’s heart lurched. She was terrified—but eager, too. Now that she was here, she couldn’t imagine going back to the cabin, forced to wonder what was happening while she was gone.
“No! You’re the commander. You’re staying. I’m staying.”
Apprehension radiated off him and he went rigid behind her. Then, softly, he said, “Are you sure you’re ready?”
She nodded firmly. “I’m consistent now.” She meant it; she could feel her Essence steady in her chest, ready. “I know I can do this.”
Daimon twisted to face his team, communicating using swift hand movements unique to them—a Rider language that had formed over many years of shouting fruitlessly over the wind or needing to communicate important messages from far distances.
He pointed at Zephyr, then held up two fingers and gestured over his shoulder. Brielle nodded once and tapped her fist across her chest twice, a sign of respect. She flanked right, splitting away from the group and going back in the direction from which they came.
It didn’t take long for Evelina to catch on to some of their strategies when watching them train from the healer’s cabin, one of the biggest being that they always did things in pairs. Typically, Ranick and Elias would warn the ground troops; Willow and Keir would work in tandem with fire and earth; while Daimon and Brielle would lead the pack as Aster watched their backs.
There were far more rebels than there were in the last fight she had experienced. Keir flew in closer to Daimon’s side and they rose higher into the sky until they were covered by the clouds. It took nearly a half-hour for Brielle to return with the rest of the flight, minus Ranick and Elias, who often stayed close to give the ground soldiers coverage. Daimon flagged Brielle first, making a fist with his hand and then holding up three fingers—Attack on my cue.
He turned back around, leaning in once again until his face was beside Evelina’s ear. “Be ready to cast your shield and hold steady until we can assess what we’re up against,” he whispered.
She nodded, feeling his breath warm against her cheek.
“Remember the plan?” he asked. Daimon made her recite the plan every single day before they took flight.
“Shield myself first before trying to shield you,” she whispered back. It went against her nature, but it was just as Gloriana told her. She couldn’t heal others if she was injured. She nodded again solemnly, confident.
She could see Daimon nod out of the corner of her eye, still peering over her shoulder. “Good, get ready.”
Zephyr rumbled a low vibration, causing the other wyverns to draw closer toward them. They formed a V behind her, their faces set with an eerie calm—the look of a unit that had spent years having each other’s backs. There wasn’t a group of people that trusted each other more than these Riders did. They flew in perfect unison, ready to fly into battle.
Evelina was amazed at seeing the aerial unit in action. They were mesmerizing—lethal and precise.
With a tap against Zephyr, they dove out of the sky, the ground speeding closer and closer as Zephyr tucked her wings in close and nose-dived.
Twenty-Seven
Daimon
Evelina was focused—sharp.Every bit of a warrior as the soldiers who traveled with them, even if she only considered herself a healer. Her high brows were pinched into concentration, her lips purple from the cold, blustering wind. Daimon was transfixed by her, especially as her Essence wrapped around his senses, warming the constant cold that clung to his body like a second skin.
“Conserve your magic,” he growled.
She ignored him, the warmth of her magic flaring hotter around him. “You do your job, and I’ll do mine,” she shouted over her shoulder.
He grunted, unable to fight with her as they neared the rebels below. He tried his best to keep his distance, to avoid pressing his chest against her back just to reassure himself she was safe.
But the moment a rebel hurtled fire their way, he wrapped his arm around her waist and yanked her against him. Heknewshe still had the shield firmly in place. And yet he still cast a wall of shadows, their magic winding together for a brief moment. The mass of flame bounced off it, leaving them untouched.
Willow and Keir focused on getting the group separated,Keir with his fire bursting through the middle of the circle they had formed. He would swoop down, send a blast of flames, and bank straight back up, only for Willow to swoop in behind him before they could reform, sending rocks, trees, roots—whatever she favored at the moment—to keep them split up.
Brielle, Daimon, and Aster circled the edges, pushing in toward whatever Keir and Willow concocted. It left the group unable to flee sideways or huddle close together.
A ball of flames shot into the sky from their right, headed toward Brielle’s back. Daimon threw up a shield of shadows, deflecting it before Evelina could try to put hers up.
A flicker caught Evelina’s attention from the corner of her left eye; another mass of fire was headed forthemnow.
Her shield snapped into place, sending the fire outward in all directions as it slammed into it. Daimon’s head jolted to the left, his arms tightening around her.
She threw a smirk over her shoulder and said, “Told you I had it.”
He huffed a laugh and steered Zephyr away from the cluster of rebels.
