Page 119 of Ignite
I whirl around, glaring at Zephyr.
She lays her head in the sand and makes herself comfortable.
“You think you’re funny, don’t you?” I mutter.
I roll my eyes, trailing behind Calix so I can talk to Brielle. His back faces me as he walks in front of me, the tattoos up his neck covering the majority of his flesh. His traps flex as he turns his head to the side, looking at me over his shoulder. I can’t help but notice how defined his muscles are—how even with histhick Kauri-issued clothing, I can still see his muscles shift beneath it.
“We can do this without Willow and Aster,” he calls out, slowing to let me catch up. Once I’m beside him, he adds, “Whatever you decide our next move is, I know you’ll make the right choice.”
I swallow, falling silent as his words run through my head.
I know you’ll make the right choice.
That’s just the problem, isn’t it?
I’m terrified my decisionwon’tbe the right one, and my failure will result in lives being lost. I’m not queen—I don’t wear the crown that’s tied to the land. But my mother isn’t here, and we’re still waiting to hear from her.
So, it’s on me.
Calix tips his chin toward me before breaking away and joining Maddox, Orla, and Sidra to where they’re sitting around a small fire.
Brielle is standing on the edge of the beach, staring out at the waves and I start toward her. She’s the only one here with experience being a Rider in the last war. If anyone will have advice, it’ll be her.
I stop shoulder-to-shoulder with her, listening to the way the sea breaks against the shore before receding and starting all over again.
“We need Willow and Aster.” I sigh. We could use their skills to help defend our land against Moros and his forces. We need to be prepared for anything. “You were once close with them, what more will it take to convince them to join us?”
Brielle shoves her hands into her pockets, her eyes remaining fixed on the sea.
“We won’t change their minds,” she says. “If they wanted to join us, they would.”
I clench my jaw, wanting to pull my hair out because I know she’s right. If they wanted to be here, they would.
“So we go on without them.” The words taste like acid, butit’s our only choice. “Iris and Cyprian’s messenger hawk can bring them our answer.”
Iris’s ability to influence minds is one of the most extraordinary I’ve ever seen. I could practically see her gleaming green eyes reflected in the white-tailed hawk she sent us. Her letter explained that the hawk had been carrying her words for some time, searching for us as she watched through its beady gaze.
She asked us to join Cyprian at the old Rider camp. The one Brielle used to live in.
“With Moros finding a way to get Crean soldiers through the curse of the border, we can’t risk letting them close to the palace.” To my mother. I look at Brielle, finding the same determination from my words reflecting back in her gaze. “If the Creans are already here, then they’re after the crown.”
The crown tied to the land.
The crown that whoever wears it, influences Penyth.
If Vidaris and Moros are after it, then they’ll stop at nothing to get it. And if they gain control of Penyth, then Lunaria finding Nightfall will be pointless. Because at that point, there will be nothing left to save.
“War is here, Brielle,” I say. “We need to prepare ourselves for the worst.”
Brielle nods, her face grim.
“We knew when the wyverns started arriving it was on the horizon,” she agrees. “But the last time this happened, we had years to prepare. Now…” she turns to her fleet, to where Calix is throwing sand on Sidra and Orla is clenching her stomach as she laughs. “They aren’t ready, Leda. None of them are.”
I swallow.
“It doesn’t matter,” I force out. “We prepare to fight.”
Fifty
