Page 115 of Burning Crowns

‘See for yourself,’ said Shen, jerking his chin.

Wren’s eyes widened as she glanced over her shoulder. Now, instead of one army, there were two travelling behind them. There were at least a thousand more witches from the Sunkissed Kingdom, all dressed in black and armed to the teeth as they galloped across the sand, easily keeping pace with Wren’s army. Wren spied Lei Fan grinning among them and Grandmother Lu riding on her haunches, brandishing a glittering gold cane.

Wren’s eyes misted, the sight filling her with a rush of strength. She smiled, suddenly overcome by gratefulness. ‘I can’t believe I slept through their arrival.’

‘Don’t feel bad,’ said Shen, smiling just the same. ‘We pride ourselves on our stealth.’

‘Let’s just hope that stealth works on Oonagh.’

‘It will,’ he said, and Wren chose to believe it.

‘The last time we travelled the desert together, you were an interloper and I was a bandit,’ he went on. ‘Now you’re a queen and I’m a king. We’ve come a long way, Greenrock.’

‘And we still have more to go,’ said Wren.

‘We can tackle any challenge,’ said Shen, rising up and quickening his horse. ‘Just make sure you can keep up!’

Wren mirrored him, urging her own horse faster. Night’s Edge warmed at her hip, its magic staving off the rising desert chill. Behind them, their armies picked up speed, matching them stride for stride as they rode on into the night.

When the first brushstrokes of dawn feathered the deep blue sky, Wren was already awake. She looked around, searching for landmarks. ‘We’re halfway there,’ said Shen, who needed no such help. He knew the sands like the lines on his palm. ‘We should stop to rest a while,’ he said, making some silent calculation in his head. ‘Feed and water the horses before the sun rises in earnest. Your soldiers will need to rest, too.’ A quick glance over his shoulder made him chuckle. ‘I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to sweat that much.’

‘Oh, leave them be,’ chided Wren. ‘They’re doing their best.’

The Eanan soldiers were indeed struggling with the sands. Even the Anadawn witches looked exhausted. On Shen’s advice, they brought the journey to a halt, seeking respite in a nearby oasis, which was shaded with palm trees. An hour passed and then another while they napped and ate, then stretched their limbs, preparing for the second half of the journey and the unrelenting heat of the rising desert sun.

When they set off again, the air was sweltering. The soldiers began to grumble, their horses slowing in the shifting sand.Wren’s head spun, only this time it was from the heat. She rose in her saddle. ‘Witches, call the wind!’

The witches went to work, brewing a gust that rippled through the ranks of both armies, cooling them as they rode.

‘Good idea,’ said Shen, pushing his hair back from his face. ‘Now why didn’t I think of that?’

Wren wiped her brow. ‘Because you aren’t melting.’

‘Ah. True.’

The wind was a welcome addition, but it unsettled the sand, turning the air hazy. It was chiefly for this reason that Wren didn’t notice the strange shadow gathering in the distance. At least not at first. Then a shout rang out from somewhere near the rear of the troop. It was followed quickly by another.

Wren turned, searching the haze. ‘What’s that shadow?’

Shen stiffened, his gaze on the strange darkness. ‘It’s no shadow,’ he said, uneasily. ‘It’s a flock.’

Wren could see it now. There were birds. Thousands of them. They swooped down in their droves, shrieking and snapping at the horses. ‘They’re starcrests!’ Only they didn’t look quite right to Wren. Their feathers hung in strips of black and silver and their eyes were bright red. She bit off a curse. ‘They’re dead, Shen.’

Which meant they belonged to Oonagh.

‘They’re attacking our riders!’ he yelled over the swell of shouting.

Wren’s cheeks prickled, the curse yawning inside her at the nearness of her ancestor’s army – more dead things come to terrorize them.

She rose in her saddle, hoisting her sword towards the sky. ‘Soldiers of Eana! Witches of Anadawn and the Sunkissed Kingdom!Hold your nerve!’ she cried out. ‘This wayward flock is no match for our might and speed! Keep your eyes on me and ride hard, as fast as you can.’

‘Seasoned tempests!’ yelled Shen. ‘Brew your storm and cast it behind you. Make a wall of wind these birds cannot hope to pass. They may possess the element of fear, but we have magic!’

A rallying cry went up. It was followed by a fierce and blazing storm that struck as suddenly as lightning. Lei Fan led the charge, guiding the witches as they stirred a hurricane from the rolling sands.

The birds dived down in a great black cloud, shrieking in anger as the hurricane thundered towards them. It roared like a beast of its own, bringing the sand with it. The air thickened until it blanketed the shadowy swarm and flung them back into the shifting dunes.

The soldiers cheered, relief guttering through the masses as they pulled away from Oonagh’s undead creatures. Emboldened by their victory, Wren and Shen turned back to the horizon, chasing it with renewed determination.

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