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Now, she was fast asleep between Fern and Amal in a Demon-sized cot, Hedda sprawled beside them in another—a testament to how utterly fucking exhausted they must be.

That was Okthana’s doing, too.

Solyrian’s fire licked over his limbs, his pulse jumping. “We need to shore up the defenses at the chasm,” Brand said, swallowing back the growing rage. “Make sure they stay where they fucking belong until I have a chance to rest.”

“Already done, cousin.” Thad rifled through a basket of bruised fruit, plucking out a sorry looking apple and plopping into a nearby seat. “The western line followed of their own accord under Lyriat and Driana’s bellowing commands. We already know the Demon King is a force, but the lass called bits of metal out of the earth and sent it after like wee fireballs to herd them along faster! I might love her?”

“Good.” Amun chuckled and clapped Brand on the back. “They will see it done until you’re ready to re⁠—”

Brand raised a panicked hand to silence him. “Say nothing of our plans out loud.” He looked up, searching the temporary, crystalline rafters above before leaning in towards his brothers and whispering, “I swear to you, she’s watching us. That’s why this is happening.”

Mag followed his look, but Amun glanced at Thad.

“Interesting,” Amun said, “but how?”

“I don’t—” A flash of his younger self at the riverbank beside her, Okthana’s teeming shadows alighting from the branches on black, glossy wings. “The crows,” he rasped. “Her bloody fucking birds.”

He relaxed at the realization, seeing none of them in the tent. Still, it called up all the other times they’d been around throughout his life, his mind unable to discern which ones had been real and which were hers. But he knew either way that some of them had been.

“Shite.” It crawled over him like an army of desert ants. “She’s been watching me my whole damned life.”

“So, we keep an eye out for them.” Mag shrugged. “Kill on sight.”

Amun nodded. “And we get this done so you never have to think about it again—after you sleep.”

Brand blew out a slow breath and turned to Thad. “Did Araxis and Vann finish setting up the separate tents yet?”

Vann was the only one of that group who refused sleep, practically stumbling his way out into the night in a panic when Luna reached over Amal to pat the other bed beside theirs. Odd, to say the least. Noted by all of them. As long as he was with Araxis, though, it was fine. At least until they had a chance to speak with him.

“They were finishing up the last one when I came in.” Thad sighed around a mouthful. “Can’t wait to lay down and wake up to my home without dreadbeasts in it.”

So sincere. Innocent.

“Aye, lad.” Mag crossed the distance and snatched his apple away, ruffling his hair. “And I’ll be here to help you deal with the mess.”

Brand didn’t miss his brother’s eyes flashing in Fern’s direction, something like regret there.

As if talk of tents and sleep had summoned him, Araxis misted in, looking as beat as Brand felt. “Everything is ready, but you need to be certain.”

He’d never been more certain of anything in his life, and thank the Sisters for it.

They finally spoke after Luna fell asleep. Brand was almost angry by the time Araxis finished explaining everything, irritated beyond reason that it took him so long to say something when he should’ve done it months ago. But the truth was that his brother opened a whole new world for them. His only regret was that they were on a battlefield in the middle of the night.

“It’s all in there?” Brand asked.

At Araxis’s nod, Brand leaned over Amal and extracted Luna from their pile. She burrowed into him when he straightened, a picture of peace and trust. Oh yes, he was sure. “Which one?”

“All the way to the left, furthest away.”

“If Vann isn’t there already, can you please put Fern in the next one over?” Brand asked at large, heading for the tent flap. “She’ll want to be close.”

Araxis scoffed. “Vann left more than an hour ago.”

That pulled him up short. “What? Why?”

“To clear his head, apparently.” Araxis rolled his eyes.

“And did you have any sort of meaningful chat beforehand?” Brand threw him a pointed look, Mag and Amun too.