38. Declan

Chapter 38

Declan

A rch Mage Quin and two of his blue-robed Mages sat with me in the uppermost chamber of the Mages’ tower. Our discussion had entered its second hour when a young boy in an ill-fitting army uniform appeared in the entrance.

“Arch Mage!” the boy wheezed as he bent with hands on his knees. “The trebuchets! They’re moving them forward. General Vre says to get ready.”

Quin nodded, watched the boy scurry back down the stairs, then turned to one of the Mages. “Go. Begin Nightfall .”

The Mage’s eyes widened, and he bowed and hurried out of the chamber.

Quin turned a thoughtful gaze toward me. “Are you ready for this? We will lend you all of our strength, but it still may not be enough.”

I returned his stare. “We will not fail. You must believe that, Arch Mage, in your heart. You must believe. Our people know when you doubt; they feel it. More importantly, magic knows when you doubt. You cannot doubt anymore. None of us can.”

Quin looked genuinely startled at the rebuke. He’d seen a thousand winters, and here I was, a boy of twenty, scolding him for his fear.

A moment of unease passed before Quin smiled and looked up, and something akin to pride entered his voice.

“The Phoenix chose well.” He stared a moment longer, then took his place outside the massive inlay that consumed the chamber’s floor.

Gold, then silver, then gold, then silver.

I had learned to draw the circle but never bothered asking its uses beyond containing summoned Spirits. It clearly possessed more power than I knew.

Another thing I’ll have to ask when all this is over.

“It is time,” Quin said.

I stepped forward and took my place at the circle’s center, each foot squarely atop one of the bisecting lines. The symbol flared, and my body jerked as raw, untamed energy flowed into me.

The window opposite offered a clear view of the enemy. With magic’s Sight, I could now see the individual shields fitted tightly together across the frozen field.

The stream of liquid power that flowed beneath the tower flooded into me, begging to be channeled, to be released. My tunic blazed as brightly as a newborn star. The Phoenix seared its afterimage into the minds of Mages who dared look upon it.

From across the field, men clad in green and plate paused and gaped at the brilliance bursting from the tower’s windows. I felt fear prick into their hearts.

Still, they resumed their machinations.

The wail of massive wooden beams protesting against each other drew my eye.

A line of trebuchets—twenty, no thirty, no . . . more .

There hadn’t been need for such heavy weapons of war in generations.

How had they passed through the mountains in winter?

I shook off the thought.

It didn’t matter.

They were here.

The siege engines crawled across the frozen, slushy ground, giant insects clawing forward, intent on their prize. Men and horses strained with their bulk. For an instant, I thought to disrupt their efforts, to slow their movement, but that would consume precious magic I would soon need.

So I watched.

It took an hour for the engines to rest, rank upon rank, fingers pointing accusingly toward Melucia’s heart. In an odd moment, in stark contrast to the cacophony of the past hour, everything stilled.

Chatter ceased.

The grinding of wheels and gears halted.

I strained but heard nothing save the banners snapping in winter’s breath.

órla appeared in the window, obscuring my view.

“This is our time, Bond-Mate. Close your eyes and prepare. You will not need them again. When your strength wanes, call to me. I will give you mine.”

She didn’t give me time to respond before launching herself hundreds of feet into the air and soaring toward the enemy line. I closed my eyes and allowed my consciousness to drift into órla’s mind. A sense of freedom overcame me as we soared across the cloudless sky.

Wind parted before us, and I saw each soldier forming up, craning over their brothers in anticipation to watch the first volleys of war. I heard their voices, angry and hungry for action. I tasted the salty, smoky sweat that wafted from their skin. I flew above them in my mind and felt everything .

órla’s head snapped to the side. Men loaded massive stones into slings attached to lengthy wooden arms.

My body tensed as I watched the last boulder fall into place.

The world held its breath.