Page 33 of Kingdoms of Shadow and Ash

'I don’t want to fight you,' said Edu, watching Adigos intently.

'Then take it back.'

'My words were true; I cannot take them back,' said Edu, with a shrug.

Adigos growled, and Edu's eyebrow shot up. 'She doesn't trust you,' Edu continued. 'You need to come to terms with your position in her court.'

'You don't speak for her.'

'I'm repeating the words of my Queen, nothing more.'

Adigos balled his fists and took a step forward. Rouel sucked in a breath. Edu moved with lightning speed, punching Adigos in the chest hard enough to floor him.

'Usually, you would have seen that coming,' said Edu, as Adigos gasped for breath. 'You're letting your emotions get the better of you.'

'You're wrong!' Adigos spluttered, rolling to his side, still struggling to breathe. He swung his head towards Fyia. 'You can trust me, Fyia …'

'Edu, no!' Fyia and Rouel shouted together, and Edu's fist halted a hair's breadth from Adigos' face.

Instead, he gripped the front of Adigos' tunic and hauled his torso half a foot into the air. 'What is wrong with you?' said Edu, his voice dripping with disdain. 'You're a warrior; start acting like one.' Edu dropped Adigos back to the ground, then stalked away.

Part of Fyia wanted to go to Adigos and comfort him, the part of her that was the girl who'd loved him. But now she was his Queen, and Edu was right, it served no one for Adigos to forget his place.

Chapter Six

ADIGOS DIDN’T TRY TOjoin Fyia in her tent, so her wolves kept her warm while Rouel stood guard outside. She woke at sunrise, and found the camp already a hive of activity, preparing for another grueling day's travel back towards Selise.

Adigos was quiet, his ego bruised and battered from Edu's convincing victory. Fyia brushed a hand across his shoulder, squeezing gently before accepting a plate of eggs from a guard. She dropped down next to Adigos, but left a deliberate space between them.

'Anything to report from last night?' Fyia asked.

'No,' he said, looking away.

Fyia's wolves started to whine, sending an uneasy feeling through the bond. Fyia threw her eggs to the ground and jumped to her feet. 'Edu! We're under attack!' she screamed. She used her wolves' superior senses to pick up the strange humming sound that had alarmed them. 'It sounds like … like it's coming from the sky …'

The wolves snarled and circled, angry, but not understanding the threat. Fyia felt the same way …Archers. Projectiles. They needed things to fend off an assault from the sky.

'Get the bows!' she called, then reached out with her magic, scanning for eagles, praying some were in range. The Fae'ch mountains were teaming with eagles, and she prayed to the Mother some had roamed this way. She kept scanning as they got their first glimpse of the enemy, and Fyia struggled to make sense of what she saw.

She'd never seen anything like it … a flying boat? But the sails had been stitched together to form an enormous pocket that floated above the main structure. The hull and sail were attached together with ropes, the deck full of people scanning the ground, presumably looking for her. Essa had said the Emperor had flying machines, but Fyia hadn’t imagined anything so big.

Fyia finally found an eagle, then two more, and instructed them to fly for the airboat. She told the eagles to attack the occupants, but leave the machine intact. They reacted immediately, but it would be several long spins of the hand before they arrived.

Edu sent archers forward, towards the threat, so they could both attack sooner, and not give away the main group's position. Edu gave the signal, and the archers fired. Their opening volley was lethal, every arrow finding its mark, their targets either falling from the boat or slumping back onto its deck.

The archers got three volleys off before retaliation came. Holes appeared in the boat's side, and then cannons poked through.By the Warrior… The attackers fired, and a terrible boom filled the air, Fyia's wolves howling at the sound.

There was no way of knowing if any of her guards had been hit, but her archers still fired, now from every angle, including behind. A pang of pride swelled in Fyia's chest. Her soldiers were well trained; no one could argue with that.

Fyia urged the eagles to fly faster, and she felt them closing in, moving at breakneck speed. The boat fired another round from their cannons, the boom different this time, followed by a series ofthunksas projectiles peppered the ground. From what Fyia could see, they looked like stones …

'Run!' shouted Edu. 'You should already be moving. Adigos …' But before he could complete his order, shadow wings appeared on the ground.

Fyia's face split into a smile as the eagles swooped down and clasped Edu and Adigos in their giant talons. The third eagle distracted the attackers, giving the others a fighting chance of making it to the boat unscathed.

Fyia knew she should run, but she couldn't tear her eyes from the fight. The eagles flew high and wide, making it to the boat. The cannons couldn't point upwards … evidently the vessel's designer hadn't anticipated an attack from above.

Adigos and Edu dropped to the deck, their weapons drawn and ready. The eagles grabbed two enemy soldiers and threw them to the ground, as Adigos and Edu slashed their way through their opponents.

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