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The cries of victory from the warriors above were for her.
Thea almost shook her head in disbelief. From a piss-poor alchemist to this…? They were calling something from the wall, but she couldn’t make out the phrase and she didn’t care. Instead, she raised her tired sword arm, and another cheer erupted from them.
Wilder reached her. ‘You’re alright?’ he asked, his silver eyes bright and alert as they roved over the much quieter battlefield.
Thea knew she’d been cut and bruised in several places, but the shock of it all was so great that she couldn’t yet feel a thing. ‘Fine. You?’
‘Fine,’ he said, gripping her by the shoulders so he could survey her critically. ‘I have to go to the southern wall —’
‘I’ll go with you.’
Wilder was already shaking his head. ‘No. You’re best utilised here – the men listen to you. We need someone defending this wall, and Torj needs to see to the archers with Cal.’
‘What about Vernich —’
‘He’s checking on the rulers.’
Thea’s chest heaved. ‘You’re sure?’
‘About Vernich or you manning the north?’
‘Both.’
‘I’m sure.’ He said it softly, but firmly, his gaze lowering to her lips.
Thea’s heart stuttered. ‘You can’t kiss me here…’ It was almost a dare.
‘I know.’
She made to return his sword to him at last, but he pushed it back to her. ‘I love you,’ he told her.
Tears burned her eyes and she wondered if the shock of everything was at last wearing off. ‘I love you, too.’
Her Warsword started for the castle, but he hesitated, half turning back to her. ‘You’re ready, you know.’
‘Ready?’
‘For the Great Rite. When you feel its call, you go. Drop everything and go. You will emerge a Warsword. The very best of us.’
Thea’s mouth fell open.
But by the time anything resembling words was on her tongue, he had gone.
Thea gathered herself, her lungs expanding to their fullest as she breathed deeply. She felt taller somehow. Wiping the muck from her blade in the grass, she surveyed the men awaiting her command, thinking fast. It made sense to reform defensive lines around the breached perimeter, and perhaps send a handful of scouts further south if she could find any brave enough – that was what Kipp would do.
‘Someone get me a spyglass,’ she shouted.
To her surprise, a shieldbearer pressed one into her waiting hand almost instantly. But before further orders could leave her lips, an almighty crack of thunder ripped through the air and a bolt of brilliant white lightning flashed in the sky.
The Veil shuddered.
A second fork of lightning carved through it, illuminating the swarm of shadow wraiths bursting through the semi-patched tear in the wall of mist.
Thea’s knees buckled. ‘Wren —’
Hands shaking, she pressed the spyglass to her eye just in time to see another round of lightning light up the base of the Veil, showing a tiny boat rocking in the dark, wild waters.
The boat was empty.
