Page 199 of Ash and Feather

“I’m not out of ideas, yet, don’t worry. Just keep things as controlled as you can in the meantime. Keep moving your loyalists into position.”

She looked worried, but ultimately didn’t try to stop me when I moved, racing away as if heading to the next part of my plan.

It had been a lie.

Iwasout of ideas.

But that had never stopped me before.

And as I always had in the past, I began to break down my surroundings in hopes of figuring out some sort of solution. To search for signs, for symbols…all these elves surrounding me…did one of them hold the key to the heart’s location?

If not in Ederis, then where?

Somewhere in the Hollowlands?

Who could lead me where I needed to go?

I started to summon wings, intending to consider the problem from above. But before I could get airborne, a violent shudder went through me.

A quick search revealed a possible reason: A large barrier of fire Dravyn had put in place was breaking down; an entire section of it had just been dissolved—a target of the elvish weapons that were responsible for that acrid, foul-smelling purple smoke.

As I watched, another section suffered the same fate. This second bit of destruction rumbled through me hard enough to drop me to one knee.

The ground shook as dozens of elves raced toward the dissolving barrier. I braced my hand against the dirt as best I could, trying to keep my balance, as I looked over my shoulder and took in the sight of the fire wall falling completely away.

The elves roared through the new opening.

A flood of humans was there to greet them.

The two sides collided like a river striking rocks, bodies hitting and spilling to the ground, tumbling and stumbling over one another.

The waiting humans outnumbered the elves in this particular spot of the battle. They swung their swords without pause or mercy, the sounds of blades hitting armor and skin making me wince.

There were bits of scattered flame still lingering around from the destroyed barrier; bodies were tripping into them—or being thrown into them—and the scent of scorched flesh became the most powerful, horrible smell in a sea full of powerful, horrible smells.

The sudden cry of a dragon mercifully pulled my attention toward it.

Mairu.

She twisted into sight high above the battle a short distance away, talons and fangs flashing, golden scales shining in the dim, smoky daylight.

Savna balanced on her back—this was her way of catching the attention she needed, it seemed; hundreds had already stopped to stare, marveling at the sight of the beast with a mixture of horror and awe.

My sister was watching the same breaking point I’d been watching. More and more humans gathered to this point, weapons drawn, determined to stop the elves from advancing.

All over the battlefield, more and more of these clashes were beginning to happen.

We had no divine connection, but I could tell by Savna’s stoic, resolved posture that we still shared the same thoughts—it was time to intervene. The tide needed shifting.

I heard her cry rising moments later, crystal clear and carrying all the way to where I knelt: “Lay down your weapons!”

It was the cue. The agreed-upon phrase to activate the next part of our scheme.

Savna’s loyalists didn’t lay down their weapons.

They turned them on Andrel’s leaders, as planned.

All at once they struck, disarming in most cases, striking with more violence in some. Confusion reigned. Forward marches ceased.

---