Page 44 of Immortal Alliance

Returning to the kelpie’s side, Morrigan orders, “Push him to the brink and then hold him there. Make him weep for death.”

Morrigan reaches into her robes and pulls out a dagger that’s familiar to me—it’s haunted my dreams for many years—the dagger of pure ice that killed Baron.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

EILISH

Mortal Plane

“The clans are ready,” Kolvar announces outside my tent.

“Good,” I say as I pull the tent flap aside and Kolvar takes in my outfit with a pronounced smile.

Dragan was able to find armor for me from one of the guild masters. The armor is in pieces and the one I’m currently lifting over my head has an ebony cowl with a face guard that covers half my face. The shoulder braces are made of hard leather that’s surprisingly comfortable. My slender frame is cupped nicely by the tight leather breeches. A coat of demon fur rests on the chair beside me, but I forego the pelts just yet.

Serrated arm plates protect my biceps beneath layers of metal that connect to the shoulder braces. The breastplate is finely crafted from metal and covered with thick leather, embellished with the emblem of the Vindication: a flock of ravens morphs into a serpent wrapped around a dagger similar to the one Pyre gifted me. The sheath at my thigh holds the comfortable weight of the dagger, and my fingers brush the hilt as I fasten the last strap on my armor. In the sweltering air of the desert, I loathe the heat trapped in the leather. But I need protection.

Dragan ducks into the tent and trails his gaze over my figure. “The horses are ready, Eilish.”

“And the mercenaries?”

“Ready to follow your command,” he answers with a breathtaking smile. “Do you have the explosives?”

I nod. “In my knapsack,” I answer. There are three of them and they’re meant to explode the Threst and all the demons and orcs within it.

Dragan looks me up and down and nods as his eyes meet mine again. “You’re a good leader, Eilish. And your potential will only continue to grow.”

My cheeks flush as I rim my eyes with black coal. When my preparations are complete, I follow Dragan from the tent and see the army standing at the ready. The mercenaries look toward me with such expectation in their eyes, I feel overwhelmed. But with Dragan and Kolvar at my side, I take a deep breath and address my troops.

“I feel like you’re waiting for an explanation,” I begin. “A reason you’re risking your lives. But, there’s no explanation or reason I can give you that would suffice. All I can promise is that I won’t shield you from the truth. We face orcs and demons of impressive numbers. Spellcasters and dark fae, as well. But we face these foes together and we face them to protect the freedom of all who call the realms their home!”

An eruption of cheers follows my words and I mount the horse brought to me. “Let’s liberate theThrestand strike fear into the hearts of those who seek to oppress us and steal our freedom!”

I ride toward the gateway that leads to the fae realm. Dragan casts me another smile and I see the pride on his face. It fills me with warmth and a sense of pride I haven’t felt in as long as I can remember.

The ride through the dunes is long and the treacherous heat batters down on us. We pass through with the help of the Mages Guild and find ourselves not far from the entrance to Earlann—the place where Cambion led us while on the run from Anona and her goons.

I shove the terrible memories to the back of my mind. “Let’s make camp here,” I say before facing Dragan and Kolvar. “The three of us should scout ahead so we can strategize our attack.”

“Aye, that sounds fine by me,” Kolvar says.

I dismount the horse and tie her to a tree. “There don’t seem to be any sentries out. Strange, isn’t it? Last we were here, Variant had eyes all over this realm.”

“He’s placing his forces elsewhere—it could buy us time now but it will be a pain in the ass later,” Dragan complains. “We should get moving if we want to arrive beneath the guise of nightfall.”

“Do you have Noni’s map?” I ask.

He flashes the scrap of paper in his hand. I snatch it away with a little grin and pull my cowl lower. As I walk, I can feel the proof of Dragan’s incendiary claim from the night before. He must have taken me at least four times and each time he wanted me to detail my time with Baron and Pyre.

The map leads us to a large marsh. Every step feels unstable as we trek through the sodden earth. The ground squelches beneath my feet and I nearly fall, but Kolvar steadies me until I recover my balance. We continue down a path through the marsh until a hill appears up ahead. Beyond the hill, a large sphere hovers above the ground. Lying between us and theThrestis an army of orcs and demons, just as we suspected.

“Well, now we know where the sentries are,” I say.

“What’s the plan?” Kolvar asks.

Dragan’s gaze scans the legion before us. “I could take a group and cause a distraction. Eilish, you and Kolvar can make your way to the entrance.”

“You should take Myerdoth with you,” I suggest. “Circle around the west side and distract them. Kolvar and I will approach from the southeast and slip through the first gate. If there are wards, we might have to fight our way through them.”

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