Page 33 of A Dawn Of Blood

I think for a moment.

I can’t only be considering the next twenty four hours. I need to capitalize on the situation as much as possible.

Luckily, there’s a plan forming in my head. “Alright. I’m not asking anyone to come with me, but I’m going to Nasgard.”

There’s a shocked murmur.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Nuala demands.

“Well, right now I have two objectives. Number one, get out of here. Number two, find out what Phinelis was talking about. This plan takes care of both.”

“You’re going to get yourself killed,” Jaeger tells me through gritted teeth.

“Andthere’s the minor detail you forgot about,” Nuala adds. “Cain. Your plan is just to ignore him? You do realize that’s no better than surrendering to him?” she protests.

I raise my eyebrows at her. “Ignorehim?” I shake my head. “No, the plan is to piss him off.”

“Piss him off?” Lorcan echoes with a scoff. “Look, Anna, youarethe Aurora, but you obviously don’t have a mind for strategy. Now, what I’m about to propose is a much smarter solution.”

“I’m with you,” Nuala suddenly says.

And just like that, everyone else is.

Chapter 23

Cain

The morning after I’ve sent the message, I hear a sound that makes me walk out of my tent and survey the surroundings.

My eyes fix on the northeast division just as I spot Koenig marching over to me. He’s one of the rare few allowed to approach me without being summoned, in part because he’s not foolish enough to abuse the privilege.

“General,” he greets as he comes to a stop in front of me and salutes. “It’s the Academy’s magic. It seems to have started attacking the soldiers.”

Narrowing my eyes, I scan the soldiers in question. They’re still standing at attention, but when I zoom in on them, I see a couple trembling with strain.

Then I see the source of the strain as well — the vines rising from the ground, wrapping around their legs and draining their life force.

Interesting. After all, it’s the first time I’m seeing, with my own two eyes, the reason father thought it best to abandon this placeand make Dryvein his capital. The Academy doesn’t react kindly to the kind of shadow magic we’re using here.

As I think, the soldiers being currently attacked by the vines start struggling not to cry out in pain.

I told them not to move from their positions. I know they’ll sooner die than disobey my orders, but I sense the terror starting to spread, and what use do I have from dead men or even panicked ones?

“Dismissed,” I tell Koenig.

I don’t hesitate. I head straight for the northeast division, only stopping when I’m among them. It’s out of the corners of their eyes that they throw glances at me, but they don’t move.

They don’t even make a sound, except for one who abruptly starts sobbing. “Please, General.”

I frown. The only thing that sets us apart from animals is control. The thing that most efficiently brings about its undoing is emotion. It’s like a sickness of the mind that can only breed suffering. A sickness that the fae is currently allowing to poison him, to affect his mental faculties, to take full control of him.

Making sure everyone sees what’s happening, I strike the man dead, then look down, fixing my eyes on the vines already making their way to my boots. I reach down and grab one, lifting it up and turning it in my hand as it burns, sucking on my life force.

I take my time to inspect it, then use shadow magic to kill it, my power spreading to all the other offshoots as well.

There’s a sense of relief among the soldiers now.

But it’s at that very moment that a sound draws my attention to the spot where the Elevator is hiding.

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