Page 245 of The Dryad Storm

Studying the corrupted skies, Bleddyn bites out an epithet under her breath from beside me. The Shadow storm has grown more violent, crashing against Tierney’s and her allies’ shielding.

Vang Troi holds up her III-marked palm and glances pointedly up at the battering storms. “We will ask, once more” she says, “for you to simplyhear our Forest out. Before enough Shadow streams in from the West to break through the shielding above, and Nature’s Reckoningdescends.”

“Heralding the destruction of every last surviving shred of the Natural World,” Sylvan passionately adds.

Niko Luun gives Vang Troi a blisteringly hard look. “Oh, we listened to ‘your Forest,’?” he sneers. His scornful gaze flicks toward me before he levels it back at Vang Troi with enough venom to burn a hole straight through her. “We listened to theliesensorcelled into your trees. Lies that put Vogel’s Shadow tool in your hands.And lies that would enable you to infiltrate our country once more anddestroy what remains of it.”

“This land is already being destroyed!” Oaklyyn cries, Raz’zor’s vermillion-coal eyes fixed murderously on Niko Luun as Raz’zor blazes an image through our hordefire of the Conclave leader bursting into an explosion of flame.

Yvan stiffens, hissing,Steady, Wyvern, through our horde bond.

Sylvan points a deep-green finger up at the storms. “Do you not have eyes to see? The Shadow is about to come crashing through!”

“Silence, Fae!” Niko Luun hurls back. “Noilaan is for the Vo-worshippingNoi. And none of this would have happened if it hadstayed that way!”

Now it’s Yvan’s turn to blaze combative fire through our horde bond, a low hiss rising in his throat as Naga urges us all,Hold your fire!

Distress strikes through me as I take in the sapphire armbands around every Conclave member’s arm, Vo’s white dragon manifestation imprinted on them. So much like the white Gardnerian armbands.

“There are many types of Noi’khin, Nikovir,” Vang Troi says with forced calm as an earsplitting explosion of Shadow thunder breaks, strands of Shadow pulsing into the Vo’s shielding.

“No,Vanglira,” Niko Luun knifes back, “there is butonetype of Noi’khin. And you are no longer one of them.” He swipes a hand toward me. “The Crow Witch dares to bring an army of Mages and Alfsigr not once buttwiceinto the Realm.” He levels a finger toward Wynter’s pocket. “Along with Vogel’s Shadow tool. Yet you stand with the Black Witch still!”

Vang Troi’s aura flares brighter. “It is as we have told you—Elloren Guryev hasslainMarcus Vogel. And those Mages and Alfsigr who portaled here with us are Vogel’s armyno longer. They have become our Dryad’khin allies.” Vang Troi looks pointedly toward Mavrik and Gwynn beside her. “They have been freed of their Shadow tether by light spells sent through the Verdyllion, the Zhilin Stylus of our religious lore. Nikovir, the war isover.”

Niko Luun gapes at her. “This war willneverbe over.” He turns to his military’s new high commander, Quoi Zhon, as more of Noilaan’s Vu Trin forces stream in on runic vessels, by land and by air.

But there are other forces closing in, I note with mounting dread. Hundreds of civilian rune ships streaming in on the Vo River or soaring through the air towardus. Along with a multitude of Vu Trin Wyverns, who morph into human form as soon as they touch down on the riverbank’s soil.

And a fleet of Vu Trin naval vessels, speeding in from the South.

Closing in to take me and my loved ones down.

My baby’s dark wings flutter against my mind, and I place a hand defensively over my abdomen and take hold of the Verdyllion, a feral urge to fight rising as I draw Zhilaan- and foliage-fueled power into my lines—enough power to usher in a new war.

Yvan places a cautioning hand on my arm, and my gaze snaps to him to find his eyes fixed on the sea of Vu Trin forces and Noi civilians closing in around us. My confusion burgeons as our entire horde, save Raz’zor, floods my lines with a cautioning line of fire, the flow of its energy urging calm, Raz’zor’s power cast into as much churning confusion as mine as he combatively eyes the incoming forces.

Heart hammering, I shoot Yvan a demanding look, which he fervidly meets, sending out a more intense blaze of his cautioning fire. “Wait,” he urges, nostrils flaring.

Protest rises in my throat as Nike Luun bellows, “Vu Trin! I command you tostrike down these enemies of Noilaan!”

Throwing caution to the wind, I grit my teeth and draw a huge volume of power into the Verdyllion. The Vu Trin surrounding Niko Luun draw swords, metallic screeches knifing through the air, their sapphire power rising.

Dryad Witch, hold your fire!Raz’zor hisses through our bond, his vermillion flame outrageously taking on Yvan’s, Naga’s, and my entire horde’s cautioning motion.

“No!”I hiss at Yvan and my horde in Wyvern. “I won’t let them—”

“Elloren,” Yvan cuts in, his fire blazing around mine with impassioned heat.“Look.”

Thrown, I scan the Vu Trin... and that’s when I notice it, a dart of shock spiking through me. The large mass of Vu Trin soldiers closing in around us have made no move to draw their weapons or even pull on their power, High Commander Ung Li and the small force surrounding Niko Luun eyeing them with open confusion.

“I ordered you to attack!” Niko Luun bellows again, his face reddening with fury.

My pulse spikes as the surrounding mass of soldiers and civilians streaming in behind them all raise their palms to us in unison.

III’s mark on all of them.

“Holy Ancient One,” I gasp, my shock blasted into renewed confusion as I’m hit by an incoming wave of purple geo-aura, pulsing up through the ground.

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