Page 57 of The Dryad Storm

Yvan Guryev’s part Fire Fae mother, Soleiya Guryev.

Every Vu Trin in the room, including Vang Troi, brings their fist to their chest in heartfelt military salute, Soleiya a highly revered figure in the East. Everyone in the country is cognizant of Soleiya’s decades-long Resistance work and the sacrifices she made during the last Realm War, her Icaral husband, Valentin, cut down by the last Black Witch as he struck Carnissa Gardner down in turn.

Saving the East.

Six other crimson-haired, point-eared Lasair Fae stride into the room behind Soleiya, all of their eyes burning the same furious gold. Vang Troi can practically feel the scorching fire from across the room as she meets the gaze of one of them, an arrestingly attractive young Lasair woman.

Vang Troi places her immediately.Iris Morgaine.

Iris has been a major thorn in Vang Troi’s side. Granted refuge in the East, she arrived only to rapidly fall in with a renegade contingent of Fire Fae set on annexing a section of Noilaan’s northeastern territory for Lasair rule, successfully laying claim to a section of it. They’re stunningly powerful, these Lasair, able to stave off every Vu Trin attempt to take them into custody.

“We welcome your alliance, Lasair’kin,” Vang Troi carefully greets these most volatile of Fae’kin before meeting the fiery gaze of Soleiya Guryev. “I’ve been informed you are tracking your son, Yvan, through a link to his fire.”

“I am,” Soleiya affirms, her tone full of emotion. “My son isalive. The Crow Witch has abducted him.” Vengeful tears glaze her eyes. “I cansensewhere he is through our matriarchal Lasair fire link.” She levels her index finger toward the northeast, her gaze spitting a furious light. “After the Black Witch attempted to rip the wings from my son’s body, she managed to get hold of him and pull him through a portal containing every strand of elemental power. I could sense the portal’s magic swirling around his fire. He was caught in the portal’s lag fordays, but he’s arrived in the Northern Forest.”

Iris Morgaine steps forward, her eyes burning almost as bright as Soleiya’s. “We’re ready to rescue Yvan and slay the Black Witch,” she snarls. “Mark us with Varg iron-protection runes. Grant us portal passage and dragon flight. And we’ll take the witch down.”

“I should have killed her long ago,” Soleiya rages as a tear streaks down her cheek, her body trembling with a mother’s undistilled fury. “I met her months ago in Keltania. She’d enthralled my son by then. Iknewit, even as he was ignorant of it. Iknewher for the fiend she was.” Her gaze sweeps condemningly over the Vu Trin soldiers in the room. “Ineverwanted my son to be a weapon in this war. But now that Yvan has been thrust into it, be very clear.I will war to save him.” Soleiya thrusts up her palm, and a sphere of fire explodes to life and hovers over it, violently licking the air, the temperature in the tower room growing instantly, oppressively hot.

Battle-fire hot.

Iris Morgaine’s mouth twists with rage. “The Black Witch helped a number of us get East, but I always held her suspect. And now we know what her true intention was all along—to gather us all here so that her Mage army could strike from the Vo Mountain Range and kill usall.”

“So now we must strikeherdown,” Vang Troi rejoins, scanning everyoneassembled. “Along with everyone foolish enough to remain allied with her. But to achieve this, wemustunite.”

Commander Ung Li gestures her desire to speak, and Vang Troi nods her permission.

“A Western Wyvern horde attempted to slay the Black Witch,” Ung Li states, “during the Battle for Voloi.”

Vang Troi nods at the tall, spiky-haired commander. “Led by Naga the Unbroken’s horde,” she affirms. “We stand in alliance with them.”

“And what of the Amaz?” Iris demands, her fiery gaze swinging toward Queen Freyja Zyrr with a heat that’s so confrontationally charged, it could melt iron.

Queen Freyja meets Iris’s domineering gaze with formidable calm, her eyes like twin blades, the dark runic tattoos on her hazel face only enhancing Freyja’s aura of queenly might.You’re going to grow into this position quickly,Vang Troi notes with guarded approval.

“The Mages have laid waste to our homeland,” Queen Freyja levels at Iris in a low, implacable tone. “Murdered our women and daughters.” She fixes her formidable gaze back on Vang Troi. “We will ally with you to kill the Black Witch. But in a female-only legion. My soldiers will not be sullied by proximity to men.”

“You’d put thatfirst?” Iris lashes back in a fury. “Over slaying the Black Witch and rescuing theIcaral of Prophecyfrom Vogel’s grip?”

Freyja’s guards stiffen, battle ready as they stare Iris and her Lasair allies down.

Inwardly cursing, Vang Troi takes in the fractured situation, the words of her deceased mentor, Chi Nam, edging into her mind:Politics is the art of the possible.

Vang Troi’s gut tenses with grief over the loss of Chi Nam and regret over her mentor’s disastrous final decision to help the Black Witch survive, as she cursesherselfover how she allowed so many of the Black Witch’s allies into Noilaan and its Wyvernguard, as well as the Death Fae who refused to fully align with any army or land.

Still, the wisdom of Chi Nam’s words remains relevant in this fraught moment. What’s possible here might be messy, but coalition building is messy. And Vang Troi knows there might be room to negotiate.

She’s well aware of Freyja Zyrr’s hidden relationship with Clive Soren. Which means further compromise might well be on the table, unlike with the late Queen Alkaia, who Vang Troi greatly respected save for Alkaia’s zealot-like inflexibility regarding men. But from her shocking choice of young Freyja as her successor, it’sclear that Queen Alkaia saw the necessary direction of the future.

“We will deploy with a female-only combined force,” Vang Troi declares, looking to Clive Soren. “Our coalition’s male forces will remain stationed in the Eastern Realm, guarding the East with the bulk of our Vu Trin forces.”

Clive stiffens then nods, and Vang Troi catches the intense, covert look that passes between him and Freyja.

“And what of Vo’s Sacred Zhilin Stylus?” presses Commander Hung Xho, the bald portal sorceress’s brown brow deeply furrowed. “Is it still in the Crow Witch’s possession? She was the Zhilin’s Bearer when I was with her in the Agolith.”

“During the Battle for Voloi,” Vang Troi replies, “the Black Witch was seen holding a gray wand. The glimpse was fleeting, but our forces did not spot Vo’s Sacred Stylus on her.” She peers at everyone assembled. “Wemustlocate it. I’ve received intelligence that Vogel is intent on finding it, which means it is either dangerous or empowering to him.” She inhales, jaw tensing. “It is clear now that Elloren Grey was never a true Bearer of the Zhilin—” her eyes flit to the Lasair “—or the Wand of Myth, as some in the West call it.”

Iris spits out an irate sound, eyes burning. “Wecall it no such thing. It is the fabled Myyr’vhhyo Shard! Rightful amplifying tool of theLasair!” Angry sounds of agreement rise up from the Lasair surrounding Iris.

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