Page 290 of A Flame of the Phoenix

“We’re under attack,” Zaiana said, then she explained what she’d seen.

Everyone wore attire quickly changeable for combat, with dress skirts detaching to reveal leather pants, while the males wore more combat-ready formal attire anyway. Their weapons were stashed in this room. They’d been prepared for a potentialambush, only they’d expected Marvellas herself, not an odd attack on the town’s outskirts.

Reylan directed several guards, setting certain protocols in motion.

“I’m going to retrieve the ruin,” Faythe said.

Zaiana nodded, skimming her eyes to the occupied general while Faythe slipped out.

“Where do you want me?” Zaiana asked Reylan.

It was just as surprising for her to request to be stationed, and even he lifted an eyebrow at her.

“We have a small Rhyenelle legion stationed on the east outskirts. They have a commander, but they could use a general, and you’d get there fastest.”

Zaiana had led many legions before in far more ruthless battles, so she didn’t know why it felt likepridethatfluttered in her fragile heart. The world really was ending if she was growing a mutual respect—dare she say,a potential friendship?—with Reylan Arrowood.

“Of course.” She accepted the position with a nod before heading out.

“Take Kyleer with you,” he called.

Kyleer jogged up to her, and she welcomed the experienced company. She’d trained with him since being here, and they’d discovered that when Kyleer was faced with something he was a natural at, it slowly came back to him in practice, like the many attack and defense sequences he knew.

Before she got to the door, however, the person who sauntered in through it made her halt.

Rainyte Ashfyre.

They thought they’d seen the back of him when Reylan informed them he’d gone to the mirrors below the castle. Yet here he was, to her irritation, still wearing the face of CaptainDaegal. What was more concerning was how he pushed Jakon in with him.

“You’re still here?” Reylan said, his tone dark with distrust.

“Unfortunately so. I wish you would all at least pretend to be glad to see me.”

“Why?” Zaiana asked, just as on edge.

“Well, considering I helped Faythe in her cell, and I’m all but the reason you escaped Lakelaria, a little appreciation would?—”

“Why are you still here?” Zaiana bit out.

Nyte sighed, slipping a hand into his pocket. They didn’t have time for this distraction.

“The creature in the mirrors—a Dresair?—is a pesky, tormenting thing. It said if I tried to cross while I had unfinished business here, my mind would never return to my body. My passage isn’t the same as when I first Realm-Walked since my mind is separated. It was enough doubt that I wouldn’t make it back to my realm that I reconsidered my time here.”

“Why have you dragged Jakon here?” Izaiah asked, edging closer to the human as if Nyte might lunge to use Jakon as a hostage.

“The Dresair shared an interesting piece of insight. From my observations, I’m assuming he’s important to Faythe Ashfyre.” He turned his attention to Jakon. “Show them.”

Jakon’s stare was absolutely lethal on Nyte, and she had to pity the human who knew he was powerless here. Jakon produced something from the inside of his jacket, and when the cloth was removed, Zaiana stared at the blade in shock.

It was made from a ruin, and the longer she listened to its whispers, she felt strongly that it was Marvellas’s.

“All of you are so eager to die the hero,” Nyte sang.

Jakon had stolen the ruin.Whenhe’d done so wasn’t important. Did this human really think he could be the one to get close enough to kill Marvellas with it?

“Here we were, planning to run it through her heart blunt,” Izaiah said, taking the blade from Jakon. “This is nice work.”

“You’re a damned fool,” Zaiana muttered vacantly. She didn’t stare at the ruin crafted into a blade with anything but foreboding. “How long have you been slamming into that ruin to reshape it?”

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