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“But why?” I questioned. “Why remain here, so far away from Agnivale? Or Vetri?”
She pondered the question for a moment.
“Because he has an advantage here. He knows the borderlands like the back of his hand. If he lures my people away from the city, he can use his knowledge of the forests to form an attack strategy.” Her jaw tensed. “They’re walking into unknown danger, while he can set up the best formation for an attack whenever they arrive.”
“To what end?”
“Until he finds us.” Her gaze met my own, sparking with anger. “Until he knows we’re dead.”
A soft droning noise caught our attention, forcing our eyes upwards. Although it was a familiar sound, dread gripped my heart like a vice.
There was no mistaking the noise: hovercrafts. Heading our way.
“They’re here.” Zoei’s voice was strained. “They’re flying right into danger, and I can’t stop them.”
A ball of fire lifted into the air, spearing the oncoming craft at breakneck speed. We watched, eyes wide and mouths agape, as the tail of the craft splintered into bits, the debris ricocheting into the air.
Several arcs of fire vaulted into the darkening sky, but the struggling craft dodged them all, only to crash into the forest with a loud bang.
“Go, go, go!”
Zoei moved with impressive speed, and I followed suit, dashing in the general direction of the wreckage.
Shouts rang out clear as day, fueling us forward.
“They’re alive,” Zoei panted. “We need to save them.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Zoei
We found two hovercrafts tangled in the forest, smoke billowing from the engines. The occupants of one craft had found their way out with little mishap, but the other was in deep trouble.
The craft had crashed into a large buttress at a forty-five-degree angle, the doors effectively trapped by a thick, sturdy branch. We watched as the soldiers put their shoulders to the doors, but they couldn’t do so much as create a dent in the metal.
Olympia launched herself at the tree, grasping its thick trunk between both hands. A look of stern concentration twisted her features, and a tremble wracked her shoulders as her powers manifested, intensifying the natural earthy musk of her scent. If I had to hazard a guess, she was attempting to snap the large branch that trapped the crew in the hovercraft.
“Your Majesty!”
The occupants of the first ship reached my side.
“You’re bleeding—”
“We thought you were dead—”
“Everyone’s panicking back at the palace—”
They spoke all at once. I didn’t spare them a glance, focusing only on Olympia’s single-handed attempt to save my people. My fingers flexed instinctively, flames shimmering dully. The almost-undeniable urge to help was dampened by impending danger.
If the scenario was different and the engine wasn’t threatening to go up in flames, I could’ve easily burnt away the offending branch and blown the hovercraft open to release my people. But that was too dangerous now. A single spark from my fingers could cause a deathly explosion. Based on what Olympia had seen earlier, Agnivale had lost enough lives today.
“You should leave,” I warned them as Olympia strained against the unyielding tree. “The lunatic Almanera will be here any second.”
“We came here for an inspection and retrieval mission.” The tallest one, whom I presumed was their leader, spoke up. “We will stay if it means a fight.”
“Almanera has killed every Agnivale soldier he has come across. You will not be an exception.”
I looked over at them, their eager faces half-concealed behind a visor.
