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No sooner had the words left her mouth than a dark figure dropped from the roof of the building opposite. Percival landed with a grunt, rolling onto his feet before jogging towards them at the same time Ryyen emerged from the darkness, a tornado of black feathers following their wake.

‘The explosions came from every quadrant within the city,’ Percival stated. ‘It’s like they’re herding the civilians towards the docks, drawing everyone there.’

Areanel noticed Elmrynn’s features pinching together as he crossed his arms in thought.

Ryyen exposed their hands, and with quick, deft movements, they signed—fingers curling into a cage-like motion. ‘Most likely a trap.’

Nymlaris gawped, dumbfounded by the way Ryyen communicated and by the way they understood, but said nothing.

At least he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

‘The fire has spread.’ Vasilio pointed around them and squinted into the distance. ‘And these rebels seem to be multiplying like fucking fruit flies… Where’s Rymedur?’ His gaze shifted between her and Brutus.

Clutching the necklace that lay near her collarbone, Areanel’s eyes flittered back and forth as she tried to think. Something pulled in her chest. Rymedur. Where was he? Perhaps it was her soul warning her of something coming. The reminder of all that blood she had found splattered on the snow. Was he hurt?

Whatever it was, the pulling sensation came and went, ebbing until it was silent, but before it did, Areanel could have sworn it was pulling her east.

She felt drained, numb like a candle that had been snuffed out and all that was left was smoke.

Screwing her eyes shut, Areanel focused on getting her heart to return to its steady pace. The sound of destruction became a distant sort of hum. This was not the time to panic! She would find Rymedur. She had to. Sorting through every possibility, Areanel began delegating tasks. She needed to get control of the situation.

She was the General. She was the one they would turn to.

And you are the one who failed.

‘Brutus—’ Areanel turned to face him. He was still injured and would need medical attention. ‘I want you to stay with Ryyen, find out what you can and dispatch any Andrean soldiers left to take care of the rebels in this city.’

‘What about the negotiations?’ Elmrynn’s gruff voice was a blade.

‘What about them?’ Areanel turned to face her older brother.

Elmrynn’s lip curled, and the point of a fang peeked out. ‘Father will not be pleased. We were asked to prioritise these negotiations, not chase down low-born rebels.’

Even though he was a foot taller than her, Areanel lifted her chin and glared down her nose at her older brother.

Before she could defend herself, however, Vasilio’s mocking tone lashed out. ‘What treaty, you dumb fuck?’ His arms flung out to his sides as he gestured to the carnage around them. ‘If you haven’t noticed, Your Royal Highness, those low-born rebels kinda fucked that up already. With this chaos and destruction, do you honestly think any of the kingdom’s representatives are going to stay? You saw the mayhem in there! The Selcirith princes already tucked tails and ran.’

‘Cowards,’ Percival huffed under his breath at the same time Elmrynn uncrossed his arms and jolted forward.

Areanel tightened her grip on the scythe still clutched. If Elmrynn tried anything, she wouldn’t hesitate to put him down. Brother or not.

And she wasn’t the only one. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ryyen quietly slipping behind Elmrynn. Percival had also inched closer to flank his side. It was only Nymlaris who moved away like he could feel the tension pulling taut.

There was no time for this. Elmrynn’s petty squabble could wait. She needed to get to Rymedur!

But it was Brutus who stepped in front of Vasilio. Hands hanging loosely at his side, fingertips grazing the handle of his axe, secured at his hip. Not a single word was needed. Brutus would shield Vasilio against any storm, even if that raging storm just so happened to be a prince.

Areanel watched with bated breath, hand still gripping the scythe, just in case.

A deep inhale. Then a whoosh of breath escaped Elmrynn’s nose as he assessed the situation, finally coming to the conclusion that Vasilio wasn’t worth it. Elmrynn did not back away; instead, he turned to Areanel and said, ‘I will not be a part of this. If you want to satiate your bloodlust, sister, it will be without me.’

‘It’s not like anyone wanted you here anyway,’ Vasilio huffed from somewhere behind Brutus. Areanel could not see him over Brutus’s towering form, but she could practically hear his eyes rolling, and the image had her biting her bottom lip to stop a smile from exploding across her face.

Areanel did not disagree. Elmrynn would only hinder their plan. It would be better if he left.

‘Percy—’ Areanel spoke to her twin without taking her eyes off Elmrynn ‘—go with Elmrynn. Ensure he returns home safely.’

Then, ignoring the unintelligible protests coming from Percival, Areanel turned to face her other brother. Nymlaris stood off to the side, still inching away from them, but he stopped when he realised Areanel was watching.