Page 64 of Three Dark Kings and the Gilded Serpent

But Stellen clearly isn’t taking any chances.

“That was the last of them,” he mutters as he stumbles over to Nara.

Quickly alighting on her back, he gives me a nod before he races away, the white wolf’s powerful legs carrying them up the side of the steep mountain and over the ridge.

Seconds later, they’re out of sight.

I’m not sure if he can hear when I murmur, “You could have let them die. You didn’t. For that, you have my gratitude.”

Back along the border, golden serpents are emerging from the sand, freed from the ice that must have been pinning them down. Warriors are slowly taking to the air, creating defensive formations.

In the nick of time.

Across the border, eagles are returning. Only a few. No doubt scouts sent ahead to assess for Hadrian what damage has been done.

The birds double-back quickly, and I’d like to believe the presence of so many Ember warriors has startled them.

“We’re still here,” I snap beneath my breath.

And now I have Thyra.

If I can survive whatever blade visions she might have… If I can shake off the burning within my hand where I held that dark blood…

If I can resist the undeniable need to go to her…

Soon, my fate will be mine to control.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Antony

Ahushed voice washes over me, along with a sharp, metallic tapping sound.

“We found him,” says a female voice. “Over here.”

A voice I’d know anywhere.

“Cassia?” I try to force my gritty eyes open, squinting into the sunlight, trying to make out my sister’s face as she leans over me.

Her hair is braided back. She’s wearing leather armor that bears the scars of battle, and her green eyes are duller than they were the last time I saw her. Even so, she manages a smile.

“Hey, brother,” she murmurs. “We’re going to get you out of there, okay?”

Out of where?

I’m cold. Frozen. But all I care about right now is the danger my sister’s in. The last I saw of her, she was fleeing with her soulmate, Rohan. If Hadrian catches either of them, he’ll have them imprisoned. Or worse.

“You shouldn’t be here, Cassia. It’s dangerous⁠—”

“Hush.” Her focus moves to my right. “Azul, we need to get out of here as fast as we can. Hadrian’s salvagers will be here any minute. They’re desperate for every piece of fruit they can retrieve for his fucking weapons.”

The tapping speeds up. Tap-tap-tap-tap.

My focus swings to my left, the direction from which a shadow casts over me.

I jolt to find myself face to face with the monstrous blue eagle.

He glares at me, his red eyes narrowed to slits, before he resumes violently striking his beak against what I now realize is a block of ice encasing my entire left side.