Page 123 of Secrets of Graves and Gold

When he’s well out of view, I yank the stream of power back to me. The other men gather closer around.

I touch Rheave’s arm. “We’re not going to do anything to call attention to ourselves until we have back-up. But when I give the word, you can start shooting anyone you can tell is a daimon. And anyone at all you see giving orders.”

He shrugs his bow off his shoulder and retrieves an arrow, his beautiful face set with total determination. “I’ll take down as many as I can.”

I reach to Alek and Casimir next. “You two will also need to be ready with your weapons. If you stay close, I think I can keep us concealed while I’m working more magic—the invisibility effect doesn’t take that much concentration anymore—but they might realize where my power is coming from. I won’t be able to focus on defending myself.”

Despite his past hesitations, Alek draws his knife immediately. Casimir unsheathes his dagger as well.

All my men are in this with me. I just have to make sure I don’t let them down.

But we have to wait until we have reinforcements of one sort or another. We can’t take on a thousand would-be soldiers all on our own.

Or, maybe I could, but I can already feel a shudder running through my thoughts just preparing for what I’m about to do. Even if I wanted to slaughter all these people indiscriminately… I’m pretty sure I’d lose myself in the process.

And that might be even worse for the kingdom than letting the scourge sorcerers attack.

The sun sinks to the tops of the trees. The Order of the Wild members pass around a hasty dinner. Sweat beads on my back beneath my cloak.

And off behind us, a holler carries alongside the pounding of dozens of hooves. “This way!”

I drag a breath into my clenched lungs. “Now!”

Then I hurl out a wave of my power—not at the people in the camp, but at the haze of magic surrounding it.

Thirty-Four

Ivy

The power I’ve heaved out of me passes through the scourge sorcerers’ concealment spell like a horse bolting through fog. That’s not what I need.

I rein my magic in and will it to collide with the haze. Eat away at the opposing magic that’s hiding the Order of the Wild’s army. Reveal them to the world.

I don’t know what consequences my power would create when left to its own devices, so I turn to my usual technique, just in reverse.

When I make us invisible, I let an echo of our forms appear somewhere else.

When I’m taking away the cloud of invisibility around the march, I’ll send that invisibility someplace else.

As I push my magic against the thick barrier around us, I concentrate on the span of forest beyond the far edge of the camp as well. Quivers of sensation race through my soul as the haze starts to disintegrate—and at the same time, the trees at the edge of the forest fade from view.

I’m vaguely aware of the men moving around me. Rheave fires one arrow after another into the milling bodies; Alek and Casimir brace themselves in front of me.

I batter the concealing spell again, holding my focus tight against the shouts of alarm that are going up throughout the scourge sorcerers’ camp. Against the flickering images at the edge of my vision that send jolts through my nerves, as if someone is lunging at me.

No one’s there. If they were, my men would be fending them off.

I can’t fall for my mind’s tricks now.

The trees at the edge of the forest vanish completely. I can’t tell how much of the fog I’ve worn away while I’m standing inside it.

How close are Stavros and the soldiers he called in?

At least one of our enemies must realize what’s happening, because all at once, the haze of magic shoves back. It hits at me so suddenly I rock on my heels at the impact, unprepared.

The trees swim back into view. My magic contracts and writhes.

“Ivy?” Casimir asks, worry wound through his tone.

---