Page 221 of Children of Fallen Gods

“What is this? Is this a fantasy, or is it real?”

“Do you want it to be real?”

Yes.Again, the word came to me fast. But… did I? Did I really?

“I don’t thinkyoudo. You care more deeply than anyone I know. You don’t want to abandon them.”

A muscle feathered in her jaw. “Perhaps leaving is the best thing I can do for them.”

“I know what it looks like when people trust their leader. And they trust you, Tisaanah.”

Tisaanah’s careful composure slowly cracked, sadness spreading across her face like fissures through stone. “I don’t know if they should. I don’t know if I trust myself, anymore. It is nice to dream. And I’m just so… tired.”

She stepped closer, arms sliding around my neck, close enough I could see every fragment of green and silver in her eyes.

I was tired, too. And I was better at running away than I was at anything else.

I kissed her, gentle and slow. Our faces hovered there, noses brushing, as I murmured, “Ask me one more time.”

One more time, and I won’t be able to stop myself from agreeing.

Seconds yawned out before us as her eyes searched mine.

And then—

“General Farlione!”

“MAX!”

Tisaanah and I jerked apart. I turned to see none other than Moth rushing towards us, his eyes wide. Behind him, several other soldiers —mysoldiers — followed. Phelyp Aleor was among them.

“Where have you been?” Moth blurted out. “You justdisappeared.”

“I…”

The other soldiers caught up to Moth and as they stood before me, there was something about the looks on their faces that made whatever answer I was about to give Moth die in my throat. The expression they wore was familiar — the same expression I’d see each night before I led them into battle. The faces of terrified young men who were trying very, very hard to present nothing but bravery.

Except for Moth. Moth lookedangry.

“I looked everywhere for you,” he said. “No one would tell us anything. And then Sammerin tells me that you hadgone home?”

“Do you know what’s happening, sir?” Phelyp asked. His brow was knotted. He’d grown into a more confident, capable soldier, but he still was awful at hiding his unease. “Why did the plans change?”

Dread fell to the bottom of my stomach.

“Change?” I repeated.

The soldiers exchanged a wary look.

“All leave canceled. All leadership called back. Everyone to remain at the base indefinitely. Locked down. We’ve been told to remain prepared for action, sir,” Phelyp said. “You didn’t…know?”

“Is this still about Aviness’s allies?” another asked. “I thought we were done with them.”

“Shouldbe done with them, after all that,” Phelyp muttered. “I heard rumors that it’s something else — maybe even… ah…Threllians…” His eyes fell to Tisaanah, awkwardly clearing his throat, before flicking back to me expectantly.

They were nervous. Of course they were. To call everyone back so abruptly, with so little information, and at such sweeping scale was extremely rare. It happened when the Ryvenai War broke out. At least then, we’d had at least some idea of why.

This? This was a strange measure to take, when a war had just ended. Nura must already be flexing the muscles of her newfound power. She wasn’t even officially Arch Commandant yet, not until the confirmation, but who was going to question her?

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