Page 134 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

The guards scrambled, shouting.

‘Witches!’

Mal’s blood turned to ice. She turned to the open land beyond the wall, but… there was nothing. No sign of an enemy. Only empty fields stretching towards the horizon.

‘Where are they?’ Hagan muttered. ‘The field is completely empty!’

A third explosion.

Mal’s breath caught in her throat.

‘They aren’t in the field,’ she said. ‘Witches useglamour.’

The realisation struck just as the door to the watchtower burst open.

Two drakonian guards entered—red uniforms, golden horns, blonde hair.

Only they weren’t guards.

Before their eyes, the illusion melted away, revealing two figures clad in black, their eyes gleaming like polished amethysts. The first witch lifted her hand, fingers curling as green smoke hissed between them, coiling like a living thing.

Her lips curled into a slow, amused smile.

‘Well, well,’ she purred. ‘What do we have here?’

The magic in her hand swelled, crackling with power.

And then, piercing through the chaos, shaking the heavens—

A wyvern’s roar split the sky.

…

Wren had introduced the valkyrians to Kage, their names etched into his memory not out of interest but simply because he never forgot what was relayed to him. Three warrior women stood before him, their towering winged steeds at their sides, exuding an air of quiet menace, as if they were always moments away from charging into war. Their very presence carried the weight of old battles and silent victories, their silver-plated armour reflecting the molten hues of the sky.

Kage considered pointing out that the gleaming war-plate on their horses was perhaps excessive—until the valkyrian with dark brown hair abruptly leaned forward and, without hesitation, licked his face.

Wren’s delighted laughter was a bell chiming in the air as Kage stiffened, his entire body recoiling in utter horror. He shot her a look so dark it could have withered forests, but she only giggled harder, pressing a hand to her stomach.

They mounted the winged steeds, each beast shaking its feathered mane before launching into the sky. Wren rode alongside Thyra, a red-haired warrior astride a black stallion whose great wings shimmered with storm-cloud grey. Astrid, golden-haired and ice-eyed, took Vera on a white steed so pale it seemed carved from moonlight. And behind Kage, much to his displeasure, sat Freya, her sharp gaze unreadable as their steed vaulted skyward.

Kage remained silent throughout the ride, irritation simmering in his chest. He despised the closeness, the forced proximity to someone he barely knew. He preferred solitude, the quiet sanctuary of his own space, where he did not have toendure another’s presence pressing against his back. His brother, Kai, would have killed to be in his place—Kai, who admired the valkyrians for their fierce reputation, their beauty. There were even old legends claiming a single valkyrian stepping onto the battlefield could stop a war before it began, their presence alone enough to weaken the knees of hardened warriors. Kage doubtedthat.

The Great War had raged on despite their efforts. The Kingdom of Air, home to these winged warriors, had been the only realm to refuse allegiance to either side, their forces spilling blood only in futile attempts to halt the slaughter. And in the end, they had failed. The witches had never forgiven them for their neutrality, and the valkyrians had never forgiven themselves for their weakness.

A roar split the sky.

Kage twisted in his saddle, his stomach dropping as a familiar shadow surged through the clouds. Nyx. The wyvern’s great wings carved through the heavens, its sapphire eyes locking onto his for the briefest of moments before it let out another ear-shattering bellow and dove downward, vanishing into the stormy horizon.

Something was wrong.

‘That is not a good sign,’ Kage said.

‘Did you not call for the wyvern?’ Freya asked, her voice calm.

Kage shook his head. ‘If Nyx is here it means Mal is in danger.’

Without hesitation, Freya dug her heels into the beast beneath them, urging it to fly faster. The others followed, wind whipping through their hair, the world blurring beneath them. Kage leaned forward, his sharp gaze scanning the land below for any sign of Mal. At first, everything seemed untouched—untilthe horizon shuddered, and a brilliant green explosion erupted against the sky.

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