Silence dragged on as everyone seemed intent on their food until Marcus looked up and cleared his throat.
“I think we should have a plan in place in case something goes wrong.” He looked over at Kyrin. “If we are somehow overrun or can’t hold them back, you need to escape with Ivoris.”
Kyrin’s face tensed in a struggle to accept her brother’s words. Before she could say anything, Marcus continued, “Gather provisions either tonight or first thing tomorrow. Enough to get you back to Landale. You’ll probably have to go east first, out of sight of the firedrakes, and then head south to camp.”
Kyrin’s throat moved as she swallowed. “Alone?”
She glanced at Leetra. Jace looked too, but the crete’s expression said she would stay to fight and die before she would retreat.
“Those of us who are able would join you there as soon as we could,” Marcus tried to reassure her.
Kyrin drew a slow breath, barely nodding, but Jace saw that it did little good. She didn’t touch the rest of the food on her plate. His own stomach was in a knot, but he ate for the sake of strength.
When most plates were empty, Trask broke the silence next. “It is important we all try to sleep tonight. Sitting up and waiting won’t win the battle if we’re exhausted before it even begins.”
The others agreed, and they all headed for their sleeping quarters. At the door of the mess hall, Jace stopped Kyrin and let the others go ahead. Peering down into her upturned face, he said, “Can you keep something safe for me?”
He reached into his pocket and withdrew the letter he had written earlier. “If something were to happen to me, I want to make sure this letter gets to my mother.”
She took it with a trembling hand, and her eyes welled.
“Kyrin,” he spoke gently, and she looked back up at him. “I’m not saying anything will happen, it’s just… I want to make sure she knows how things have changed and what happened with Elon.”
He couldn’t take the chance of her never knowing. He didn’t want her to have to worry about him like that anymore.
Kyrin nodded. “Of course.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper. She made a valiant attempt not to cry, but tears threatened to overflow.
Jace’s own eyes stung. If only he could prevent her from ever hurting again. He hated to see her cry when he could do nothing to stop it. He hesitated for an uncertain moment, but then pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Even through the chainmail, he could feel her silent crying.
“Things will be all right… somehow,” he murmured. He had to believe it. Somewhere this had to fit into Elôm’s plans.
She nodded against his shoulder, and he just held her. His thoughts drifted to the first time he had ever done so, when Sir Richard had held Kaden prisoner. Their struggle had turned into something so much bigger since then.
After a few moments, Kyrin slipped from his arms and reached up to wipe her cheeks. She looked up at him, strength lurking in her eyes where there had only been fear.
“Thank you.” She looked down at the letter in her hand, studying it. A little smile touched her lips.
“What?” Jace asked.
She raised the smile to him. “I’ve never seen your handwriting before.”
Jace shrugged. “I don’t practice much. It’s not very good.”
“It’s just fine.”
Spirits lifted, they followed the others. Down the hall, they found Kyrin’s brothers waiting.
“Are you all right?” Kaden asked as they neared.
She nodded slowly. “For now, yes.”
Satisfied, Marcus said, “We’ll see you in the morning.”
They traded goodnights, and Kyrin’s gaze rested on Jace before she went off to the small room she shared with Leetra. Jace let out a sigh, turning to follow Kaden and the others. He would rather just sit with Kyrin all night. If these were his final hours, he would like to spend them with her, but Trask was right. He couldn’t fight a battle, at least not to his greatest capacity, on no sleep.
In the sleeping quarters, Rayad helped him out of his chainmail and he sat on his cot, only now realizing how weary he was. As he sat there, contemplating what the next short few hours would bring, a growing dread gnawed his stomach with uncomfortable familiarity. It felt the same as it had on his nights before entering an arena as a gladiator. However, unlike then, he now had the reassuring knowledge of Elôm. Bowing his head, he reached out to his God, stilling the voice of uncertainty.
“Jace.”
Coming to consciousness, he first thought it was Elon’s voice. He longed for it to be, but recognition told him it was Rayad. With it came remembrance. He pushed himself up quickly, his heart pounding.
“It will soon be dawn,” Rayad said.
Jace let out a long breath. He hadn’t expected to sleep much, but he had, deeply, and he thanked Elôm for it. It would certainly benefit him in the hours to come.
Jace rose to his feet as Holden got up from the cot next to him. The three of them helped each other into their armor. All around them, men were preparing. Jace glanced to where Kaden, Marcus, and Liam helped each other suit up. It brought a wistful smile to his face as he thought of his own siblings. He couldn’t wait to see Elanor again now that things had changed, if he got that chance. Part of him would have even liked to see James again and have a good talk with his younger brother. Had anything he’d said had an effect on him?
As they followed the steady stream of men out of their sleeping quarters, Holden gave a quiet chuckle.
Jace looked over at him. “What?”
“It’s odd how things change. A year ago, I was afraid you would kill us all in our sleep. Now I trust you more than anyone to watch my back.”
He clapped him on the shoulder, and Jace smiled. He trusted Holden to watch his back too. He already had in multiple ways lately.
In the mess hall, the soldiers gathered to grab a quick bite to eat. Kyrin met them there. She looked tired, but stronger than the night before. She even managed a smile for her brothers and Jace—a smile that made him contemplate all kinds of what-ifs. Again, he lamented the lack of time.
They ate quickly, compelled by the urgency to be ready and in place by the first light of dawn. This left little time for talk, but they could only hope they had said everything they needed to say by now.
Once fed, they all gathered in the torch-lit courtyard. Jace looked up at the dim sky. A scattering of stars still twinkled faintly but would soon disappear. The sounds of footsteps and armor filled the enclosure as soldiers hurried to their positions. From what Jace knew of General Veshiron, he would attack right at dawn. That left them less than half an hour.
Jace focused on Kyrin. She consumed his thoughts in these final minutes. With clear difficulty, she went around to trade parting words and embraces with everyone. Her emotion was especially evident when she came to Timothy and he told her, no matter what happened, to keep reading and copying the Scrolls. She nodded, tears in her eyes, before giving him a hug.
The worst for her was her brothers. She lingered longer with them, and a few tears did fall, but Jace admired how bravely she faced it. She could have broken down completely—no one would blame her—but she somehow held herself together. After giving each of her brothers a long, tight hug, she stepped back to encompass all of them.
“Be careful,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “Don’t do anything foolish or take risks, all right? Just… be careful.”
They gave her their solemn promise.
A mischievous grin came to Kaden’s face, lightening the mood. “We’re always careful.”
It drew a breathy chuckle laced with skepticism from Kyrin. “Right.”
Kaden’s face grew more serious again, though a faint smile remained. “We’ll see you later.”
Kyrin nodded.
Her three brothers turned to join up with the rest of the men, who slowly moved toward the wall. Kyrin stared after them for a long moment, and J
ace almost wondered if he had been forgotten, but then she turned to him. He was the last of the group and thankful to have a private moment with her.
She drew closer, and he looked down at her. Determination hardened her expression, but fear flickered in the captivating misty blue of her eyes. Again, he admired the strength she projected in spite of it, but his own fear that coiled around his chest overshadowed the admiration. What if something happened to her? As safe as the keep may be, she was still right in the middle of the battle. Anything could happen. His throat barely functioned when he tried to swallow the horror of losing her.
“Well, here we are,” she said. All the unspoken fear and uncertainties passed between them. She glanced around at the men, torchlight casting wavering shadows on her face that somehow made her look more vulnerable. “In all the preparation, I never really considered what it would be like to reach this point.”
She looked up at him, her eyes seeking.
“I know,” he murmured. He didn’t believe any of them had.
They just stared at each other, neither one wanting to bring this to a close. With a shaky breath, Kyrin looked up at the sky. Jace glanced up too. The stars had faded now.
“I suppose you should join the others.” Her eyes dropped back to his, glittering with moisture.
Jace’s voice seemed to abandon him, and he could only nod. She took another step closer, and they embraced, but for Jace it was intensely painful. This could be their last. He held her a little tighter as if it could somehow change the future.
“You are my best friend, Jace,” her voice came to his ears a little muffled, but earnest. “I don’t want to lose you.”
He swallowed hard, his voice breaking. “I don’t want to lose you either.”
Sniffing, she nodded against his shoulder. A moment later, she stepped away, though it tortured him to let her go. Her cheeks were damp, but she didn’t cry. Instead, she forced a weak smile.
“I’ll be praying for you.”
Jace nodded, once again unable to find his voice. With reluctance written all over her face, Kyrin turned and started toward the keep. All at once, Jace’s heart plowed into his ribs as a rush of regret and panic jolted through his entire body. What are you doing, you fool? The question rang out like an alarm bell in his mind. They could lose each other today. Was this really how he wanted them to part for the last time? He had always known how much she meant to him, but right now it was so clear it took his breath away. Did he want it to end without her ever truly knowing what his intentions were?
“Kyrin!”
His heart rate spiked when she turned back to him. Confusion and fears scrambled through his mind, but he wouldn’t let this moment just slip away. He closed the distance between them and reached out to cup her face in his hands, pressing his lips to hers. She gasped, but didn’t try to pull away. For a few fleeting seconds, he lost himself in the engulfing sweetness of the kiss and connection to her. When he pulled back, his pulse thundering, he stared into her wide eyes and witnessed the twinkle of shock, wonder, and a swirling of other emotions he couldn’t identify. Whatever they were, they had eclipsed the fear he’d seen moments ago.
Again, his voice stuck in his throat, but words didn’t seem so necessary at this point. Finally, he managed, “Stay safe.”
Kyrin nodded and said breathlessly, “You too.”
Taking a deep breath, he rubbed his thumbs over the softness of her cheeks. “I’ll see you when this is over.”
It was as close to a promise as he could make. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her. She was just as reluctant to relinquish her light grasp on his forearms. But time wouldn’t allow for anything more. Turning toward the wall, he pulled his shoulders back, a sudden rush of confidence and determination coursing through him. His mindset began to shift back to the struggle at hand, but he couldn’t resist another look back. Kyrin still stood where he had left her. Despite the circumstances, a smile grew on his face. The one she returned he would carry with him long into whatever the day brought.
Near the stairs, he caught up with his group, coming alongside Rayad. After a moment, he sensed Rayad watching him. Jace glanced at him. Rayad’s lips were upturned in a barely perceptible smile, his eyes crinkled.
“What?”
The smile grew, but Rayad shook his head. “Nothing.”
However, they both knew exactly what it was. His heart thrumming with the memory of the kiss, Jace couldn’t hold back a smile of his own, though he did his best to hide it. A moment later, a low rumble of a chuckle came from Rayad, and Jace gave up pretending or trying to hide anything.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Rayad said.
Jace lifted his brows.
Stepping closer, Rayad grasped his shoulder and spoke quietly. “I’m no matchmaker, but if any woman was capable of winning your heart, I knew it was Kyrin. I suspected you had developed feelings for her. I just wasn’t sure when or if you would act on them.”
“That makes two of us.”
Kyrin’s feet pounded up the stairs inside the keep at the same rhythm as her heart. At one of the top floors, she reached a set of windows overlooking the wall and soon-to-be battlefield. Leetra already stood there, but Kyrin barely noticed her. Stopping, she worked to catch her breath, but it wasn’t just from the run. Jace had kissed her! She put her hand to her chest. Goodness, how her heart raced at the memory. After all this time of struggling to temper her feelings toward him to avoid disappointment, he had kissed her. It made her giddy and terrified at the same time. Oh, Lord, protect him!
A questioning voice invaded her thoughts, and her gaze snapped to Leetra. The crete girl gave her an odd look.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes,” Kyrin gasped. She cleared her throat. “I’m fine.”
Leetra just stared at her, not at all convinced. Warmth flushed Kyrin’s face, and she ducked her head. Clearing her throat again, she moved to the window to look out at the wall. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Leetra shaking her head before focusing outside too. No longer under her scrutiny, Kyrin allowed herself a small, private smile as she relived the moment in the courtyard once more.
Kaden’s heart pounded against his breastbone with disturbing ferocity. Could it be possible to break a rib this way? He forced himself to draw in a steady breath. The time had come to step up, to act, to lead. The time to banish all outward fear and project confidence to his men, even if it wasn’t so plentiful deep down. There was no more wondering how he would lead these men; he just had to do it.
Near the wall, he stopped with his two brothers, and they faced each other. A moment of silence fell between them as they shifted, searching for the right words.
“We’d better join our men,” Marcus said finally.
He faced Kaden, holding out his hand. Kaden grasped his arm, but Marcus pulled him in for a hug, slapping him on the back.
“Trask made a good choice in appointing you captain,” he said. They parted to look each other in the eye. “You have a natural instinct when it comes to dragons. You’ll lead your men well.”
Kaden’s nose stung and he fought to tamp down the emotion. “Thanks.”
Marcus smiled and nodded.
Kaden turned to Liam next, and they traded a crushing embrace. Right as they parted, a sound echoed in the distance, rising into the dawn sky. War horns.
“That’s the attack signal.” Marcus’s alert eyes fell on Kaden. “Take care.”
“You too.”
Kaden watched for only a moment as his brothers hurried for the stairs. Then he spun around and sprinted to where Talas and the rest of his riders waited for him, the sound of war horns still resonating against the fortress. He scrambled onto Exsis and faced the men as the noise died away. Swallowing, he willed moisture into his throat. He could imagine Marcus boldly giving his men a rallying speech before going out to battle, but with all eyes on him, he struggled. He swallowed again.
“This is it, men. This is what we
’ve all trained for. Over that wall, Daican’s men believe they’ve already won because of their numbers.” His heart crashed, adrenaline, fear, and determination all lighting a fire inside him. “Well, I say let’s show them what we’re made of.”
Shouts broke out around him, and at last came the confidence to lead them. He glanced at Talas, who gave an affirming nod. Kaden gripped Exsis’s guide bar and raised his voice.
“Everyone, with me!”
At only a slight signal, his dragon spread his wings and shot upward, climbing above the walls. The rest of the dragon riders followed right behind him.
Kaden held his breath. Exsis’s pumping wings matched the pounding beat of his heart. They soared up, past the walls and into the dim sky. The glowing eastern horizon greeted them first. The other dragons ascended all around him, both his force and Captain Darq’s. A thrill raced through him to see them airborne. Surely, between them, they could hold back the firedrakes.
With these thoughts, he swung his gaze to the south. Though it was still too dim to see much more than smoldering campfires and torches, his eyes slowly adjusted and locked on something dark materializing in the deep blue of the horizon straight ahead. His heart jolted, lodging in his throat. Monstrous dark forms dotted the sky. Despite seeing the size of the firedrake force the day before, the sheer number facing them down in the air momentarily paralyzed him. There were so many.
“Elôm, help us,” he gasped.
It was as if he were frozen in place as the beasts fast approached, but then something clicked inside him. Instinct and training took over. Adrenaline bursting through his veins, he gripped Exsis’s guide bar and leaned forward, homing in on the first firedrake that barreled straight for them. The drake’s jaws hung open, an orange glow growing at the back of its throat. Two heartbeats later, Kaden signaled his dragon to pull up. Fire jetted from the firedrake’s mouth, but Exsis shot upward, the flames passing just beneath them.