“Anything you’d like to say before we greet your sister?” the High Witch taunted.
My eyes darted back and forth between each of theirs, and a sinister smile leisurely spread across my face. “Only that I hope she kills you all.”
My mother’s lips parted in horror as Azenna scoffed in annoyance while she grabbed both mine and the queen’s arms. The rushing, shadow-filled winds took over, threatening to make me sick once more.
This time, when I opened my eyes, we were atop the east tower of the Islan gates. Countless rows of armored soldiers stood at the foot of it, sprawling forward for nearly half a mile.
The sky before us in the distance was splintering into severed cracks, forming a rift in the realm that made my heart race with anticipation.
And then a wyvern burst through it.
Chapter sixty-five
Elianna
The moment the openingin the sky was large enough to fit through, with a thunderous beat of his wings, Nox soared through the rift, breaking through what remained before us of the valley and into that of Isla, Velyra.
With a raging battle cry, we burst through to the other side of the realm. A journey that would have taken us over a month on foot took only seconds through the power of our witches’ sorcery.
Endless rows of perfectly lined soldiers were at the foot of the gates, guarding the city at their backs as we flew towards them with a galloping stampede of war horses and foot soldiers trailing behind us. My gaze swiftly turned towards my brave soldiers, and a smile spread across my face at the sight of Jace leading them all.
As I faced forward once more, my eyes flared as I caught sight of three figures standing atop the gates. My heart nearly stopped as I realized the witches had already sensed our arrival, and standing with the High Witch was the queen and my sister.
My mind was racing, questioning how they sensed our arrival was coming and swiftly gathered such a largearmy. My hands balled into fists, thinking about what they must’ve done to Avery for them to gain knowledge of our plan.
I ordered Nox to a halt, and his wings caught the wind as he kept us level in the sky, directly above the warriors guarding the city gates. My army came to a halt behind us.
As the last of our men stepped through the portal, my gaze drifted backward once more, just in time to catch Veli, Empri, and Madalae emerge through the rift themselves. My throat tightened as I caught the sight of them already looking disheveled and out of breath from holding it open. Within moments, the phantom doorway dissipated, granting a view of Isla's sprawling terrain.
I faced the city, my eyes locking on my sister, who, despite being captured, wore a knowing grin on her face as if my presence here was all she needed in answer.
The queen’s eyes bore into me, and somehow, her stare appeared even more malevolent than that of the crimson-eyed witch that stood at her side.
“Idina!” My voice echoed through the sky. “The war you relentlessly pursue has resulted in an unimaginable amount of bloodshed. Show your people that you value their lives. If nothing, let your last act as queen of the realm be that you spared them from slaughter. The men standing below me…they are not to be considered disposable. Show them that you have an ounce of decency left within you and that they are not just faceless blade wielders.”
Her blazing eyes narrowed in on me as I went unanswered. The sound of shifting armor rattled from her soldiers that stood beneath my mount.
“The men you see behind me…the bravest soldiers I have ever met, even comparable to your troops that aim to destroy the very person who once led them, are not disposable. Not to me—neverto me or my mate that the gods had placed among them for this very reason. Touniteus! Fae and mortals living together in harmony throughout the realm.”
The instant I declared that I had a mate, her eyes flared wide, and a lethal blend of shock and fury flashed across her face.
A growl rumbled through Nox. Idina’s lips curled back, and my head tilted to the side as I stared down at her, waiting to see if she would even deem my declaration worthy of a response.
“You come to the Islan gates not only as an escaped treasonous prisoner but now as a self-declared usurper of the crown. The people of Velyra know of your treachery, Elianna. They know of the lies you speak regarding your false entitlement to the throne, and they know that you now fight for the enemy, as you have made clear before them all just now by leading them right to their homes in a time of war.” Idina extended her arm before her and gestured to my army of mortals.
“My men will not enter the city, and if they do, not a single blade is to be swung unless they are under attack by one of your own. They are here strictly as a precaution and to prove that fae and mortals are able to live in harmony with one another as they stand side by side among my ranks! You have the opportunity to end this before it truly begins. Throw down your crown, Idina. For the only femaleamong us that is false and treasonous isyou. You hold your own daughter captive as a use of leverage against someone who truly loves her.”
“I love my children!” she snapped. Avery’s gaze shot to her, but I noticed that her body remained frozen where she stood, as if being held in place. “And you murdered the only heir of the realm they had known. You cannot expect them to blindly follow a known, murderous queen.”
Her smile turned vicious and deadly, and in that moment I knew what the outcome of this would be, but I would not be silenced as I had been my entire life.
“The only murderous queen is the one that currently holds the throne in the castle that looms over their city. Spare your people, soldiers, and the citizens of Isla, and I will grant you a merciful death that you certainly do not deserve. This is your final warning.”
As Idina's eyes flicked over my shoulder, she took in the sight of my silent, awaiting army and then brought her attention back to me.
“Enjoy your death and the death of your people, Elianna,” she called. Her voice carried to me on a breeze, sending a surge of pure, all-consuming rage through me.
A vision flashed in my mind of ordering Nox to send his flames upon them as they stood on their high tower, ending this once and for all before the blood of my people would be spilled at the foot of the gates. But the cowards knowingly used my sister as a shield.
