“Unless,” Áengus agreed as they reached the battlement, and his concern became well-founded. Although many were only partially visible due to tree cover, it was clear Raghnall’s army came from the south and Liam’s and Aodh’s from the north, leaving them in an impossible situation.
Especially if there was a dragon at the helm.
“All we can do is get into position and fight with everything we’ve got.” Declán frowned. “How has he managed to possess so many? Liam’s army as well?”
“My guess?” Cian replied as he and Madison joined them. “Some of Liam’s warriors must have been close enough to the wall when it was created that he could influence them. Once he did that, he was able to reach even more.”
“’Tis alarming how much his powers have grown.” Declán looked at Cian in warning. “We need to end him here and now if ‘tis the last thing we do.” He shook his head. “If we don’t, the war will be on your doorstep again and ‘twill be against four kingdoms. Four armies.”
Cian nodded in agreement.
“How was there so much I didn’t see?” Riona felt helpless as she took in the sheer size of all three armies. She had truly let everyone down. “From Imag’s possible betrayal to Raghnall gaining so much control?”
“Maybe you did and don’t even realize it yet, sis,” Madison said. “Whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up. It’s pointless. Stay strong and focused because that's what your people need to see.”
Despite how difficult, she was right. Shedidneed to stay focused and help their people any way she could. So she looked at Declán and nodded once. “It’s time.”
While tempted to embrace him, she was afraid she wouldn’t let go if she did, so she started for the stairs, only for him to reel her back into his arms. He cupped her cheek. “Fight well,mo chroí,and trust your instincts.” Never so serious, he rested his hand on the hilt of her dagger. “But above all, trustthis.”
“I will,” she managed, backing out of his arms before she melted against him. “I promise.”
She felt his fear for her as she and Madison made their way toward her ground-level exits. His terror that this might be the end for them. She was just as terrified but pushed it to the back of her mind as she and her sister approached where they needed to be.
“You have a general idea of what we need to do, right?” She looked her sister’s way. “That it’s become a much larger endeavor than I could have imagined.”
Madison nodded. “I know, and we’ve got this.” She winked. “What’s a few thousand more warriors we need to keep safe?”
A few thousand at the very least, considering they now needed to hold back not just Declán’s possessed warriors but Aodh’s and Liam’s. So she told Luna to go find shelter, and they sidled down their individual crevices, readying themselves the best they could.
“I might know what we need to do, but I hope my inner druidess gets me there when the time comes,”she said into Madison’s mind.“Because I feel pretty clueless.”
“You’ll know what to do when the time’s right,”Madison assured her.“In fact, I imagine this is going to bring you fully into your gift, and you’ll figure out everything pretty darn fast.”
“Here’s hoping.”Riona stopped at the bars and eyed the woods for scouts that might have been sent ahead.“All I know is that I seriously need to be done with Raghnall.”She fought emotion because this was no place for it.“He still has some kind of hold on me, Madison. A draw, however much I hate to admit, that I fear might be his Trojan horse.”
“A draw you’ll have to fight,”Madison said.“One, I think will be far easier once you come fully into your druidess magic. That’s how it was for me.”
Madison went to say more but paused before she grew alarmed and continued. “Someone’s coming. I can feel them.”
Riona stilled and eyed the forest. Her sister was right.“From both directions.”
“The armies are nearly here,”Declán said into their minds.“Siobhán rides at the front. No sign of Raghnall.”
“Why does that not surprise me?”Madison muttered moments before a mighty roar boomed across the sky, and the ground shook.
“Can you see him, Declán?”Riona worked to keep fear at bay. That sounded horrific. Like a monstrous dinosaur.“Can you see Aodh?”
The screams and cries of distress that came from inside the walls told her everything she needed to know. His roar came again, far closer this time, nearly overhead, and she felt it right down to her core.
She also felt rather than saw enemy warriors rushing at the walls.
Instead of fear washing over her again, everything stilled inside her, and she went perfectly calm. Became unnaturally focused.
“It’s time, sis.”She wrapped her hands around two of the bars and closed her eyes, marveling at what swelled inside her.“Follow my lead.”
Her sister’s magic merged with hers and expanded outward before she snapped her eyes open and traveled beyond her body via magic, for lack of a better way to describe it. Thanks to her connection to Declán, she knew who was friend and foe as her mind’s eye rose higher and higher.
“This is incredible,”she murmured into Madison’s mind.“Do you see...feel?”
