Page 101 of An Honored Vow

“Attack with everything you have. Fyrel, we’ll try to draw the beasts away from the city.” They all nodded at me. Fyrel lowered soSyrra could climb on as she blew her horn. Fyrel reared back and they rode toward the city as brumal bear and rider.

Pirmiith’s horn answered Syrra’s call. He and Riven led the charge of Elverin on horseback. The front line clung to their horses with their thighs and shot arrow after arrow at the closest soldiers.

My stomach hardened watching Riven’s black cloak disappear into the chaos as Gerarda’s shadows faded. I turned to Dynara. “You work to get as many Halflings out of the city as you can. Portal them to safety. Take these two with you; they’re excellent fighters.” Gwyn beamed as I looked at her and Elaran. “Don’t use your powers in front of the soldiers.”

Gwyn’s brows furrowed. “Why not?”

Elaran wrapped her arm around her neck. “Because Keera is saving the best in her beast form for last, Ring.”

I nodded, watching the skies as another fiery blast rained down on Volcar. “This is not our last battle. Damien can’t have time to plan around every one of our advantages—some of our strength needs to be a surprise.” Gwyn’s lip twitched but she nodded.

Dynara’s eyes glowed amber and she opened a portal. A thin veil of mist formed over the circle but we could see the devastation on the other side. Dwellings were burning. Children and parents were screaming, tripping over each other as people began pointing their fingers at anyone they thought was Halfling. The stone streets were already wet with amber blood.

The three slipped through the portal and Dynara closed it behind them. I turned to the battlefield. Syrra and Fyrel had lured one of theshirakonto the field of battle. A bone-shaking whistle echoed through the grounds as it aimed its attack along Damien’s ranks.

Another horn blew from the sea—Myrrah was in trouble. The three ships that had survived the channel were heading them offbefore they got to Volcar and another six had circled around the island behind Myrrah’s fleet.

“Go.” Gerarda nodded in the direction of the sea. “Feron and I can protect the ranks here.” She lifted her shadow-covered hand.

Guilt tore at my throat. I just needed to dosomething. Make swift decisions before any more people died. I transformed into my eagle form and set off to Myrrah’s ship. I soared over the battle, watching as Syrra launched another attack against the injuredwaateyshir. Dodging stray arrows was easy but leaving Riven alone to fight three soldiers at once took all the willpower I had.

I landed on the eagle’s nest of Myrrah’s ship. Crison stepped aside as I transformed back into my Fae form.

“Can you sink these ships?” I called down to Myrrah, who had parked her chair in front of the large wooden wheel of the ship.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Myrrah said, her face red and puffy. Two of Damien’s ships began to swirl, caught in the whirlpools Myrrah had created underneath their hulls. “You just going to sit up there and watch?” She shouted up at me.

I stepped over the banister—ready to transform—but Crison grabbed my arm. “I can take three.” She looked up. Above the thin storm clouds that lingered from my magic was something bigger and scarier.

A gigantic flock of gulls. Crison’s eyes glowed, commanding them all. She had beckoned them from the coast their entire sail and now they circled overhead, poised for an attack.

I nodded and that’s all Crison needed. The birds descended and the three farthest ships disappeared into a haze of white wings. The vessels slowed as the gulls tore through their sails. The crew’s shouts of frustration turned to screams of horror as the birds descended on them, pecking at their flesh and eyes.

Sweat pooled along Crison’s brow but she didn’t relent—not until the cries of pain over the water had silenced. I transformed and landed on the top sail of a remaining ship. There was a flash of light, and I stabbed my dagger through the largest sail and jumped, slicing through it all the way down. The men couldn’t grab their swords quick enough. I sucked the air from each of their throats until their bodies crumpled to the deck, dead and already forgotten.

“Keera!” Myrrah called as I destroyed a third ship. I turned and saw that Myrrah had not captured the last of hers. Instead, it sailed at full speed toward the city. I transformed but the ship crashed onto the shore before I could reach it.

Soldiers spilled out of the hull like ants invading the beach.

The Elverin split and met the soldiers head-on. The heavy clanks of swords were accented by the groans of fallen men—some dressed in leather, some in metal. The casualties climbed on both sides. I climbed too, flapping my wings until I thought they would fall off. A black mass appeared below, soaring on the same gust of wind that I was, silent and lurking. I held my breath to keep the stench of death from choking me. The red center of thewaateyshirpulsed through its back, teasing and so, so close.

All I needed was one perfect hit.

I banked right. Thewaateyshirshowed no signs that it knew I was there. I took a deep breath and plunged. I passed through the space between its wing and neck and then I transformed. It reared back from the flash of light, opening its chest. I grabbed for my dagger and plunged it into …

… thin air.

I missed. By less than a foot. I plummeted to the ground trying to stow my dagger before I transformed again, but the sheath was flapping in the rush of air. The open chasm grew closer, but I refusedto let go of the dagger. It still needed to claim Damien’s life with it. I was not going to let it sink to the bottom of the ocean.

Thewaateyshirshrieked in anger, blasting another attack onto the city. I gripped the handle and prepared myself for an icy drop into the sea as a spout of water rose to catch me. But it never did.

Instead, soft fur skimmed my face, and I instinctively grabbed for anything I could. I held onto Fyrel’s fur as she leaped across the chasm. She landed, swatting her giants paws and knocking dozens of soldiers into the water.

I slid down her back and stowed my dagger as Fyrel chased more soldiers away. My skin heated with my flames as I launched balls of fire at the soldiers’ throats. Another cry echoed from above as one of theshirakdove toward us. It whistled and its throat filled with black fire. I groaned and a wall of stone erupted from the earth, shielding everyone underneath it. I turned and saw a similar shield of stone over the northside of the city as another beast spouted its deadly flames onto those below. It crumbled as it fell back into the earth. Feron was at the ends of his magic.

A portal appeared beside me. Dynara stepped through dragging Gerarda with her.

“I have an idea.” She wiped her hair from her face.

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