Page 42 of A Glint of Steel and Roses

Brenna sneered and twisted, shooting columns of flame from her hands at them. Every shot burned a Nightmare alive, but she wasn’t fast enough. They kept ripping with their claws, tearing with their teeth, even as they burned.

The dragon’s scream shook the world. It leapt and tried to catch wind with its tattered wings, but they were too damaged. It crashed to the ground, screaming in agony. It tried again before it realized the sky was out of reach. Then, with a deafening roar, it leapt into the river and scrambled back across. Brenna turned in her saddle to cast a look across the river. The dragon roared once more and stormed away on foot, the earth trembling in fear beneath it.

Seeing their mighty dragon’s wings shredded and their commander in retreat, the Fire Lord’s army turned and fled with her.

A weak victory cry went up from the Nightmares. Claws and fists thrust into the air.

We had survived and dealt a blow.

I searched the ground for Nisang, whispering a prayer that I would find him teetering on his feet, or at least a body to bring back to Cian, but there was nothing. The field was empty. Only his sword remained, jutting abandoned from the ground.

Fogdescendedthenextmorning, leaving the camp hidden beneath a shroud of white. Another ill omen.

I had spent the night at the war table, leaning on my chair, listening to the scattered reports of Devonay’s shadows. Hellion had begged me to come to bed, even tried to bribe me with sex, but I wasn’t in the mood. I couldn’t make sense of Balor’s retreat, not when they were poised to win. Why would he fall back now?

Even if he and Brenna had a falling out, he had nothing to gain and everything to lose by withdrawing. They might have had their differences, but they were still both Iridyn’s children and under his command. I saw no tactical reason Iridyn would pull Balor back, which meant it was something he’d chosen to do on his own.

Perhaps he had decided to rebel against his father.

My fist closed around the papers in my hand as I remembered seeing him in the throne room the day Ren burned. He’d just stood there, watching with his one good eye, his hands clasped in front of him as if this were any other day at court. When the dragon breathed death upon Ren, his face had remained blank. Even when Brenna and Iridyn looked away, hewatched.

Balor Bluefire did nothing that didn’t benefit him, so why had he left?

“Did you sleep at all?” Hellion asked, coming out of the bedroom.

I shook my head and flicked one figurine, knocking it over. “Everything in me is screaming I should take to the sky, fly north by northwest. If I leave now, and if the winds are favorable, I can be at Lach Ban-Lenon by dusk.”

They sighed. “Cian, we’ve been over this. You’re needed here.”

“To do what?” I snarled and surged out of the chair to lean on the table. “To listen to reports and oversee the digging of trenches?”

“To hold the pass,” they said calmly. Too calmly.

“A pass that we have been losing by inches for months!” I snarled and knocked everything off the table before spinning around. “What is the point of winning the war if I lose everything I hold dear in the process?”

They stared at me, face softening.

Before either of us could speak, the tent flap moved aside, and Odan ducked inside. “Lord Cian—”

“What is it?”

Odan drew up, taking in the wrecked table and, no doubt, my worn features before straightening. “There’s movement in the valley.”

My heart skipped a beat. Brenna had left a large force here. If they were mobilizing…

Hellion pushed in front of me, grabbing their armor. “Any sign of the dragon?”

“Not yet. We’re not sure it’s an attack. This damn fog is too thick.”

I spat a curse and rushed to grab my armor, throwing it on. “The fog’s a spell. Brimstone, why didn’t I see it before? They’re using it like a smokescreen to cover their movements. Of course it’s an attack! Go. You have your orders.”

Odan hesitated. “We haven’t heard about Lach Ban-Lenon yet.”

“If they’re attacking us, then we have to assume the battle at Lach Ban-Lenon went in their favor.”And that means Nevahn is dead. I tried not to think of that as I tightened the straps of my breastplate. “We’ll hold them up in the mountains. Ready me the Unburnt and the Scourge.”

Odan nodded and left.

“Cian…” Hellion paused, and I could sense they were about to object.

---