Page 62 of A Heart of Crimson Flames
Grae let out a long sigh, which did nothing to assuage my worries. “They will be as ready as they can be,” he said. “They weren’t trained like the Silver Wolves. No amount of practice now will replace a lifetime’s worth of skill... But it will have to be enough.”
My stomach soured. It was not the news I needed. We were leaving the following day to start our journey toward the Stormcrest Ranges. We had orchestrated with Sadie that our attack would take place three days before the full moon in the hopes that the Silver Wolves were waiting to take advantage of the full moon to reinvigorate their powers. We’d been shifting every night, getting our strength, preparing for battle, but normally, the week before the full moon was when Wolves were at their most diminished... which was why we were bringing more than just Wolves.
“It will have to be enough,” I echoed. “Surely a dragon will help?”
“Surely.” Grae chuckled beside me. “And my father’s arrogance. I doubt he thinks we will go on the offensive and strike first this time. No one dares attack Highwick. We have the element of surprise.”
“And the songs,” I added with a shake of my head. “We have the songs. I can’t believe the Songkeepers found a magic that can control Wolves. Imagine our soldiers cutting through a line of Wolves who are unable to fight or move.”
“I’m happy to imagine it... so long as we stay far, far out of earshot.”
“Agreed.” I laughed lightly. I leaned into Grae farther, letting him take my body weight as he reclined against the well. “It is a concern, though. If Rasil and those other Songkeepers learn of that power, it could destroy the Wolves.”
Grae squeezed my shoulder. “One worry at a time, little fox.”
“First Nero, then the rest of it,” I said wearily. “The humans of Damrienn can’t wait another moon for us to save them. There may be none left.”
Grae kissed my temple. “You are incredible, you know that?”
“I feel far from it,” I admitted. “But we can’t stop now. We can’t hide and wait for Nero to pick us off one by one, so we must fight.”
“Together, we will succeed.” Grae swept a comforting hand up and down my arm. “Especially if Maez joins us.”
My heart sank a little on hearing that. “I’ve received another letter from Briar.” I let that sentence linger in the air between us as I pulled the crumpled letter from my pocket. It had magically appeared there only moments before we communed through the well and I was still processing the message.
“Will they come to our aid?” Grae asked and I hated the hopefulness in his voice. Maez would’ve never left him in doubt before she took the dark magic. The only blood relative he still had, and his cousin was a stranger to him now. It made me want to skewer her for making my mate feel that way, let alone my twin.
I looked up at the sky and shook my head. “I still don’t know,” I said. “What are they even doing, hiding in the mountains of Valta?”
“Valta?”
“Her letter makes it seem like they won’t be joining the battle in Highwick, but it’s strange. She said they intend to visit Rikesh, that we don’t need to worry about the Onyx King anymore at least...”
“I don’t even want to know what that means.”
“Nor I, but if Tadei is dead, that’s one less enemy to worry about.” I sighed and leaned my cheek against Grae’s shoulder. “It brings me some comfort to think that if it all goes poorly, Briar is safe, that she will live on. The last Gold Wolf in all of existence.”
Grae squeezed me tighter. “Perhaps we should work on rectifying that.” I looked at him and he hastily added, “If we survive.”
“Pups,” I said with a little smile. “I could see a miniature version of you tearing up the castle, pink nose and ink-dipped tail.”
“And fur of bright gold.” He let out a laugh, his steaming breath curling into the frozen air. “It feels like an impossible dream right now,” he murmured. “But maybe one day it won’t.”
“Maybe one day,” I said, curling into him. “Maybe one day we’ll permit ourselves to dream of our little pack running beneath the golden trees.” I let out a grumble as I untwined myself from Grae’s arms and stood, extending my hand back to him to help him up. “But first we’ve got to start a war... and win.”
Briar
THE SCENT OF JASMINE RAMBLING THROUGH THE WINDOWSgreeted me first.
Home.
This castle in the sky was everything I wanted it to be—a sanctuary, an oasis, a reprieve from the horrors of the rest of the world. It lulled me in, making me forget the land below and the responsibilities beyond it. Maybe I could be like Maez. Maybe I could forget the world beyond me existed. Maybe with enough time and practice, I could just be selfish and have something just as good.
“Going back to your room?” Maez asked from where she lounged on the bed, sifting through the mounds of treasure she’d spread across it like a gilded blanket.
It was only then I realized that I was staring at the door, unmoving.
I put a hand on my hip, the fabric already crumpled from our escapades around Rikesh. I turned back to Maez. “I don’t want my own room,” I announced.
