I looked to Azenna, whose bone-chilling stare remained on the far reaches of the battlefield—no doubt remaining on three witches from her own coven that accompanied us.She snarled in disgust, her top lip curling at the sight of them.
With the queen’s parting words, the High Witch flashed her glowing eyes in my direction as she grabbed hold of both the queen’s and Avery’s arms.
Nerves sank into the pit of my stomach, watching pure fear take over Avery’s features at Azenna’s touch. I blinked, and a moment later, the three of them vanished before my eyes.
My wrath, infinite and blinding, wrapped itself around the mating bond, humming down our tether.
“A cowardly bitch.” My mate’s voice filtered to me, his rage mimicking my own as a growl lingered in his words. “I can’t wait to watch you be the end of her. We’re ready for you. On your word, my queen.”
Just as I was about to give Nox the order, a piercing screech echoed through the air, causing my eyes to widen, realizing it hadn’t come from my own wyvern.
My gaze moved beyond the gates and toward the Vayr Sea, where the echoes of screaming could be heard when I focused in on it. My lip curled in a menacing smile to see that the sirens kept their word. Then my eyes locked in on the wyvern that Azenna had sent to destroy Ellecaster, soaring directly towards us at an unfathomable speed. As it rapidly approached, a sight I never considered appeared, causing my throat to tighten in panic.
“Lia!What is it?!” Jace’s voice boomed.
I closed my eyes tightly and willed our bond open for him to behold what I was witnessing through his own eyes.
“That cannot be what Ithink—”
“It is,” I cut him off. “Kellan is on the back of the wyvern. He’s headed straight for us.”
“Lia…” His pleading whisper filled my head.
“Forward!” A soldier’s voice sounded from below in our enemy's army, and the thundering sound of marching boots filled the sky.
As my eyes remained fixed on the threat hurtling towards us, my breathing became increasingly heavy. My jaw locked, and my neck strained as a vision of everything I had been forced to endure at the hands of both Kellan and Idina took over me.
Decades of mental and physical abuse from those I should have been able to trust. The murder of both my mother and father, and then the only parental figure I had left once they were gone. The treasonous lies whispered in my name to turn the realm against what it needed most—the rightful heir. Above all, what haunted me was the ever-present threat that hung over the ones I loved and the heartless attempt at the eradication of my people's existence by those who believed themselves superior.
They clawed their way to the throne through lies, manipulation, and deception. And now, I would take it all back by blade, blood, and flame.
Kellan’s eyes were fixated on me. His wyvern was closing in on where Nox kept us level in the air as Idina’s forces marched toward my own. An evil grin was plastered across my ex-lover’s face as he raced towards us, assuming to finally take what he desired most—my life and that of my army.
But I wouldn’t let that happen.
“Lia!” Jace’s guttural voice screamed.
“Give them hell, handsome,” I whispered through the bond.
“IGNYSTAE!” The command tore through my throat as a battle cry.
Nox responded instantly as he sent a blistering blaze directly at Kellan and his ferocious mount—right before they violently slammed into us.
Chapter sixty-six
Jace
With Lia and Noxat the front, our armed forces had marched through the portal on the opposite end of the realm with ease. Gage and Zaela had flanked both of my sides, with Landon close behind the three of us. The rush of racing through the realm's rift as we led thousands of our warriors to the end of a century-long war was beyond words.
Only weeks ago, I had thought the most magnificent sight my eyes would ever behold was the day of our wedding when my wife agreed to bind herself to me before the gods, but I had never been more wrong. The greatest sight was when she defiantly stood at our enemy’s gates, at a city she once called home, and pleaded for peace among our peoples.
However, the vision was quickly overturned by gut-wrenching fear as I watched my mate’s ex-lover barrel into her and her mount with his own—fire bursting from each wyvern as their bodies collided in the air.
I cursed every god above as I was forced to tear my gaze from her and Nox as Idina’s army raced towards us on the ground below.
Time slowed, and my gaze twisted to each of my sides, where Gage and Zaela watched for my word.
“It has been an honor to serve next to you both,” I said, a deep growl slipping from me as chaos ensued in the sky, where Lia was already waging her own battle.
