Page 100 of Frost Like Night
Now they were all Ceridwen could see. Her fingers tightened around the hilts of her knives. Caspar was right—these were reinforcements.
“That isn’t Angra’s army,” she growled. “Again.”
Lekan didn’t move. He had come to the same conclusion she had. Just as in the attack a few days ago, Angra had sentothers to do his bidding, like deluges of rain wearing away at a mountain, priming the area for a landslide.
The woman who led the army out of Winter’s trees was, to Ceridwen, such a distraction. A deluge of rain and a landslide and a frigid, howling storm all in one.
Raelyn.
She was nothing more than a small form on a horse, but Ceridwen knew that form. She could feel the disdain that emanated from Jesse’s ex-wife the moment she appeared. Ventrallan soldiers materialized from the forest, marching after her with measured steps.
“Run a message to Caspar,” Ceridwen snapped at one of the Thaw near her. “Tell him this isn’t all of it.”
The boy nodded and slipped away.
Who knew how many soldiers Raelyn had brought with her? How many blades she had added to this war? Ventrallan soldiers had been reportedly coming to join Angra’s forces, but they should have been still sailing down the Feni. Clearly, Raelyn had cut off from directly joining Angra and been sent here first.
It didn’t matter. The only thing it changed was that now Ceridwen had a personal goal that sputtered fuel into her heart.
Meira had explained the magic they would face. Raelyn hadchosensuch magic when Ventralli’s conduit could have kept her safe—everything she had done to Jesse, to her children, to Ceridwen, had been her choice.
And she would die for it.
Ceridwen stepped forward, sucking air deep into her lungs and holding it as the Ventrallan army drew steadily closer, Raelyn at their lead. She wasn’t a fighter—which meant she wanted Ceridwen to see her. She wanted the coming confrontation.
That makes two of us.
The Ventrallans were paces from where the Winter side of the field ended. Nearly halfway across the valley.
The anticipation building in Ceridwen’s chest grew painful, and she could feel the same need rippling through the soldiers.
Fight, fight, FIGHT—
Her fingers clenched around one of her knives. She lifted it, blade pointing at the approaching Ventrallans, arm straight and rigid while heartbeats fluttered through her.
The army behind her drew a collective breath. Weapons shifted into position, feet shuffled to brace against the ground.
Lekan brushed his fingers over her shoulder.
Ceridwen screamed.Attack, go, fight, NOW—some combination of all those words. It bubbled up from the depths of her as she tore out of the ranks of the infantry, the first to barrel headlong toward the Ventrallan army.
30
Meira
“MEIRA,” THERON SAYS,easing forward, his hands extended.
I let the door swing shut behind me, the resounding thud matching the rhythm of my heart thumping against my ribs. He looks so happy.
He looks soeager.
“You’ve been expecting me,” I say, a gentle poke to see how high the flames will go.
Another step closer. “I knew you’d come.”
“You didn’t go out with your men.”
Theron’s lips curve up. “Neither did you.”
