Chapter 40
Chapter
Forty
Kaelith’s voice shattered the quiet of my dreams. Get up.
My eyes snapped open. What is it?
The army marching against us has reached Solmia.
I sat bolt upright, the sheet falling from my chest. “That’s too soon.”
Their forces are much higher than anticipated, she continued, her tone urgent. And the Blood Fae are working with them.
I swung my legs over the bed, panic sharp in my lungs. “How can you be sure?”
The black dragons are fairly obvious.
Zander shot up beside me, already pulling on his tunic. “What did she say?”
“The Crimson Sigil’s army has reached Solmia.
Black dragons are aiding them.” That alone told him everything.
His face tightened as he hauled on his armor.
I grabbed mine, shoving my arms through leather and steel, binding my hair as I went.
We didn’t speak. There wasn’t time for questions or fears—only action.
We burst through the chamber doors and raced down the corridor, our boots echoing off cold stone. Guards turned as we passed, their expressions darkening with worry as they fell into step behind us.
The sky was still tinged with lavender when we reached the Ascension Grounds, but the dragons were already stirring. Riders hurried into formation, summoned by some silent, collective dread.
Kaelith landed with a thunderclap of wings, her eyes lit with fury. Hein followed close behind, scales flashing with restrained power. Ferrula was already strapping on her weapons. Jax stood beside her, his jaw clenched.
Major Ledor barked orders to nearby squadrons, and Tae’s usual smirk was nowhere to be seen as he passed Cordelle a spear.
Zander turned in a slow circle, taking in the rising chaos.
“We’ll need aerial support and ground units immediately,” he said, voice as sharp as a blade. “Solmia cannot fall.”
I moved to Kaelith and touched her shoulder. We’re ready.
Major Ledor turned to Zander, his expression tight with tension. “It was Prince Theron’s direct order that all guild and dragon forces remain here to protect Warriath.”
Zander didn’t even blink. “Theron isn’t here now.” His voice rang clear over the grounds, drawing the attention of nearby riders. “Since he’s vanished and left us without leadership, it falls to me to make that decision. And I don’t leave innocents to die. I won’t sacrifice Solmia for Warriath.”
There was a pause. Then the major gave a slow, solemn nod. “Understood, Your Highness.” And there was something new in his voice—respect. Not obedience out of duty, but conviction.
They moved closer, lowering their voices but I caught the essentials. “We’ll send thirty dragons,” Zander said, eyes scanning the assembled riders. “Thrall, Warborn, and Stormforge. Keep the rest back to defend Warriath. We can’t leave the capital exposed.”
“I’ll see it done,” Major Ledor replied. “And what about the civilians?”
Zander turned to him fully. “Send First Guild to create a perimeter around the city. Crownwatch will maintain order. From this moment forward, the village is under Crown Law. Lock it down—restricted movement and business suspension until further notice. Anyone trying to leave without approval gets detained.”
The major nodded again. “I’ll alert the commanders.”
The tension crackled between them—less about authority, more about the reality of every life hanging in the balance.
Before Zander could say more, a shadow fell across the stone path. My sister’s footsteps were soft, but her presence commanded notice. Veyna moved with a wary grace, still thinner than she should be, but stronger somehow in her quiet resolve.
“I heard the commotion,” she said, her voice calm but serious. “You’re preparing for war.”
Zander gave a curt nod. “We don’t have a choice.”
Veyna’s lavender eyes shifted to me. “Then I’m going with you.”
“No,” I said quickly, turning to Veyna. “You’re too weak. You haven’t even recovered from the last—”
A voice cut through the thick tension behind me. “Are you going to introduce us, or do I have to guess who the brooding girl is?”
I spun around. Solei stood with her arms crossed, daggers at her hips, her honey-blond hair braided down her back, eyes cool and calculating.
Veyna’s gaze sharpened. “Who is she?”
I exhaled slowly. “This is my sister.”
Veyna blinked. “Our mother had no other children.”
I winced. “Solei’s father adopted me when I was sold. She taught me to fight. To steal. To survive.”
Solei’s expression softened slightly, though her eyes never left Veyna’s. “She was mine before she belonged to anyone else.”
Veyna regarded Solei for a long, quiet moment, something unreadable flickering across her features. “I see.”
I stepped between them slightly, my voice dipping low. “Why are you here?”
“Cyran sent me.” Solei’s tone was blunt. “We offer assistance.”
Zander and Major Ledor stiffened nearby.
“It appears any alliances the Crimson Sigil made were just smoke and lies. They’re killing anyone who won’t bow to their banner… or the Blood Fae.”
Veyna looked up sharply. “Even their own?”
“Especially their own,” Solei said.
Zander’s eyes met mine, grim understanding written across every sharp line of his face.
This wasn’t just war. This was extermination.
“What of your people?” I asked.
Solei’s face was pale beneath her sun-worn skin, but her voice was steady. “Order members are being assassinated in every town now occupied by the Crimson Sigil. Those that haven’t been killed have gone into hiding.”
My gut twisted. “What about the Varnari?”
“They’re being slaughtered,” she said without flinching. “Cyran believes the Varnari were a tool—a ruse. A convenient way to gather anyone with magic, get them to rise up against the crown. Now that your own people have turned on each other, the continent is ripe for invasion.”
“And Theron is suspiciously absent,” I muttered, my voice as bitter as ash.
Solei nodded, her eyes shadowed. “He isn’t with the enemy forces. I’d know.”
Zander’s brow lifted. “You’ve seen them?”
Her smirk was grim. “I have eyes in their camp.”
My heart jumped. “You have a spy among them?”
“Of course I do,” she said simply, like it should’ve been obvious.
Zander crossed his arms, eyeing her. “That could be very useful.”
Solei’s gaze slid past him, to Veyna. Her stare sharpened. “But it would be unwise to assume our enemies don’t have a spy here too.”
I glanced between them, between my blood and my bond. “We already know there’s a traitor.”
Solei tilted her head, her mouth curving into something that might have been a smile if it held an ounce of warmth. It didn’t. “Do you?”
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