Keep him safe. I shot to Faraway as he rode proudly on.

I will take care of him. I promise.

Syrani came and stood by me. As the men rode toward the gate, she reached forward and gripped my arm.

“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” she confessed. “This is nothing like the arena.” She gently led me toward the stone steps to go to the wall where we could try and watch the armies meet.

“I know what you mean. There is no safe zone. We can and will die in battle.” I gave her a reassuring squeeze. “But I think you might have an advantage here. There’s a whole lot of earth, and you’re very strong.” I encouraged.

“I am strong. I’m one of the strongest Denai ever born in earth,” she said confidently. Syrani’s blonde hair was braided and tucked under her cloak. A stray wisp kept getting blown about by the wind. She tucked it behind her ear again.

I could feel her anxiety.

“But I’m not as strong as you. I felt it, in the arena, your power. When you were under the earth, I could feel you start to give up. But then I felt a sudden surge of power burst forth out of you, and you counter-attacked. Are there more like you? Out there?” She nodded with her chin to the approaching army.

“Oh, stars, I hope not. I don’t think I’m strong enough to face others like me.”

“You’ve changed since the arena. If anything, you’re stronger,” she argued.

“There’s a barrier here.” I snapped back, suddenly irritated. “It makes it harder for me to use my gifts. Unlike you.”

Syrani spun to face me, her nostrils flared in anger and a heated spark flashed in her eyes. “The only barrier is in your mind.”

Noise below drew my attention to the courtyard. Troops ran back and forth, calling each other to arms, to the gate. I followed the army of Sinnendor, their black banner, with a silver wolf flying high in the sky across the field as they met the encroaching army. I could easily pick out my father, who looked like a giant surrounded by his own retinue of men.

I saw hundreds of approaching horses and a division of riders wearing a color that I wished I could rid my mind of—red. In front of the army was a large group of ground soldiers, dressed in browns and red, armed with swords and shields. Something glinted toward the front of the army, and I craned my neck to see if it would flicker again. There! A lone rider covered in a robe wore a silver hook-nosed mask, and perched on his shoulder was the largest black raven I’ve ever seen.

My body ran cold and my hands started to shake, but only for a minute as my fear was replaced by anger. We had a score to settle, and I was determined to watch him die. Preferably by my own hand.

After all, it would be fitting for him to be killed by his own creation.

The Raven and his army marched down the hill, and I watched as King Tieren, dressed for war, rode out to meet the much larger army.

I couldn’t help but wonder if King Tieren was in his right mind at the moment. I could see Gideon’s white head riding close to the King, keeping him protected and flanked. Both armies pulled up to face each other and stood firm a short distance apart, unmoving. King Tieren and Gideon spurred their horses forward, and the Septori parted so that the Raven could come forward and greet the men.

Words were exchanged and King Tieren pointed his hand back the way the Raven had come. It didn’t take much to read his body language.

The silver mask glistened again as the Raven tossed his head back and laughed. Desperately, I wanted to be able to hear what they were saying. It didn’t seem to be going in Tieren’s favor as I saw him raise his sword to attack the Raven.

“Please,” I whispered. Wishing, hoping for the sword to strike true—wishing that the Raven would be no more. But it was Tieren whose sword stopped midair and fell from his fingertips. I gasped as Gideon’s sword flashed out and sliced through Tieren’s midsection, fatally wounding his own king.

Red flowed from Tieren’s side and I could see his body tilt toward Gideon, a shocked expression on his face. He fell forward to the ground and stopped moving. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the ghastly scene.

Gideon killed Tieren!

The Elite turned on Gideon, just as I realized that he was being controlled by a very powerful Denai. Gideon turned his horse, his face a blank and confused mask. His men fought for their lives behind him. Gideon sat frozen upon his horse like a statue as the Elite were cut down one by one. A quick arrow into his torso released Gideon of whatever spell he was under and he slid from his horse.

“NO!” I screamed in fear as Sinnendor’s army was quickly overrun in the mass confusion. I lost sight of my father.

Faraway! Get him out!

But he wouldn’t answer me.

The Elite fought bravely but were disheartened by the quick death of their king and the apparent betrayal of their own leader. The Septori rode forward, pressing Sinnendor back toward their gates.

“VAAALDYRRSTAL!” The cry echoes through the valley. My father bellowed the battlecry once more, holding his sword high in the air, calling his men to him. “For Valdyrstal we ride; for Valdyrstal we die!” There was a surge of energy and the mass confusion that was a leaderless army regrouped under Bearen Valdyrstal. My father does not give up easily. I watched Faraway bravely carry my father into the fray. Twice, I saw him preemptively sidestep a sword strike, keeping Bearen just out of reach of his attacker’s sword. I kept holding my breath, but it seemed that Bearen and Faraway were a formidable team.

Thalia, we can’t run away, Faraway finally answered. We are needed here. He is needed here. Please forgive me.

I understood. I didn’t have to like it, but I understood. If Bearen ran now, everyone would follow. There would be no leader and we would lose before we barely began.

Make me proud, Faraway!

And he did.

The tide slowly began to turn. But it would be too late. A gap had been made in the line and Raven’s army made it to the castle.

The Raven watched the massacre of men before him with interest before his head turned ever so slightly to look up to the wall and right at me. I stepped back in alarm. He couldn’t see me from this far could he?

Some of his men didn’t move in a natural way—more like they were puppets being jerked around by an unskilled puppeteer. More of his Denai powers?

Sinnendor’s archers were deployed as they tried to pick off the early leaders in the attack. I breathed a sigh of relief that our gate was closed, and I didn’t see a battering ram, but then I was quickly reminded that an army created by the Raven would not need one.

A huge blast ripped through the outer wall and the ground rumbled below me in distress. Screams of pain and fear ripped across the courtyard below as those who didn’t have time to run were caught in the explosion. Scattered about, they lay injured or dying. The first of Raven’s army ran through the opening in the wall and met with our army, who fought bravely.

“Son of Light, save us,” Syrani called out in horror as she pointed to the Denai that blasted our wall apart. He stood on a small hill to the side. His blond hair whipped in the wind as the air he controlled whirled around him in mini tornados. His once-smiling face and dimples were hidden behind a mask of anger and hate.

“Joss?” I cried out. My heart lurched with terror. There he was, standing tall, wearing the same clothes I had last seen him in, although dirtier and torn. His eyes looked dazed as if he weren’t fully in control of his own actions. Whatever they had done with Siobhan was child’s play compared to what they had done with Joss.