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What are you doing? he demanded.
“Tethering it to the both of us,” she said as she finished the loop.
Then, she released both sides of the crux bond, and the gold light vanished. She gasped. “Oh my gods. Do you feel any different?”
No.
She tugged experimentally at her wrist and gasped again. Even though the tether was invisible, she could actually feel her connection to Tieran.
“Did you feel that?”
He pulled up slightly in surprise. I did. It was like you were tugging on me.
“You try!”
Tieran moved his head slightly, and she felt it all the way down to her wrist. Tears came to her eyes. It wasn’t a real bond. Not like the ones that the Society had, but it was the most she had ever been connected to Tieran. And so long as it was in place, she would always feel him. She never had to remove it.
“I felt that,” she said, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around him. “We’re bonded, Tier. We’re bonded.”
Hours later, they flew around the three great mountains that made up the House of Shadows. It was shocking to just be able to see the mountains. All those years, they had been hidden. When Kerrigan had flown here last time, she’d felt sick, just being near the mountains, and she couldn’t even see them. Now, that was all gone.
The wall was truly down. No trace of Mei remained behind. It made her sad to think that she was gone entirely. But of course, she continued in her daughter.
The dragons veered east toward Lethbridge, and Kerrigan’s heart sank to her stomach.
“Oh no,” she whispered.
Smoke rose high in the distance. She couldn’t quite smell it, but they all knew what that meant. Night was falling, and Lethbridge was under attack.
The dragons landed in a clearing just west of Lethbridge. Scouts continued on to figure out what had happened. Alura was one of them. She’d landed long enough to deposit her bags and then burst into action again. They watched her fly away, knowing tomorrow, it would be them.
Kerrigan went about helping to set up the camp. She hoisted tents with Audria, who seemed grateful for the last year. She’d never seen a tent before they went through battlefield conditions in one of Lorian’s lessons. He’d ridiculed Kerrigan intensely even though she and Fordham were the only ones who knew what they were doing. And now, none of that mattered.
All that mattered was the battle to come. Not that she and Fordham were members of the House of Shadows. Not that there were people on the other side of that wall that she knew. Not that she might not be allowed to continue with the Society after this. Just tomorrow.
Trulian appeared himself after they ate dinner. “You,” he barked at Fordham. “Come with me.”
“Yes, sir,” Fordham said. He didn’t even ask questions. He’d defaulted to his military training.
Kerrigan wasn’t so well trained. She jumped up too. “What’s going on?”
“Maybe you should come with us too. If you have half as much strength as my Mei did, then you’ll be an asset,” he said. Then, he jerked his head and stomped back toward the largest tent at the center of the small camp.
Kerrigan fell into step next to Fordham. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him as they flew. He must be in turmoil at the thought of what was coming.
“Ford,” she whispered.
He shook his head, and without a word, he tromped forward at a faster clip. He was a full head taller than her, and she had to all but jog to catch up. They didn’t say another word. Trulian threw open the tent flap, and they followed him inside.
Kerrigan stalled, as if going back in time. The war camp in her vision had been larger, stabler, and full of men in black Society robes. But this was much the same. There were fewer people, and women dotted the space. A welcome change to a thousand years ago. Mei had been one of the only women in that tent. But this was still a commander’s war tent.
Helly stood at a table. Who knew where they’d gotten it? Lorian was on her right. Zina floated in an almost trance in the back of the tent. Kerrigan recognized one of the other people in the room—Mistress Corinna, Head of the Guard. The rest of the faces were strangers. No other council members were in attendance.
“What is she doing here?” Lorian demanded. “Arrest her!”
Trulian waved the accusation away. “She’s here at my command.”
Lorian balked. “You are an esteemed warrior of the Great War, Master Trulian,” he said, starstruck, “but I am a council member. She was ejected from our service and has no place here.”
“I am also a council member,” Helly said. “I invited her under Trulian’s advice. Considering Trulian is the only other member here who has been on the council—and head of the council at that—I believe that we outnumber you.”
