Page 161 of To Fight and To Fold

Vaelen paused, processing, her eyes flickering as Aaryn was sure a thousand thoughts burst through her mind. "Try to stop Thea. Tell her. Go," she demanded, and gave Aaryn a shove.

Aaryn sucked in a breath and bolted for the travel runes, their glow beckoning.

She caught herself against the tall stones making up the teleportation circle, then with a scrape of tile she was on the Dragons’ Nest. Her feet snapped into the grass over and over as she raced, passing dragons lounging, playing, eating.

"Thea!" she shouted, her voice echoing as some of the dragons picked their heads up in curiosity. "Starspark!"

In response to her desperate plea, she heard a whine, achingly familiar, and her heart fluttered with relief and exertion as she cut through the trees and dodged boulders, looking for⁠—

Starspark wrestled with Thea as she tried to grab onto his harness. An amused group of druids already seated on their respective dragons waited, all in matching dragon scale armor.

Starspark was the only dragon Aaryn trusted to get Thea back safely to her. And right then she was so thankful for her stubborn dragon.

"Thea!" she cried.

Thea jolted at the crack in her voice, and Aaryn skidded to a stop, hands on her knees.

She heard the hiss of grass, then Starspark was bumping her with his snout. She offered him a hand, petting his scales.

Briefly, Aaryn considered telling Thea good luck and letting her ride off to save her brother in arms. Because once Aaryn delivered this news, she knew where Thea's sense of duty would lie.

But Thea deserved the chance to choose, anyway.

"The execution is a trap. They're going to attack here. Runa told me." The words punched out of her heaving lungs.

Thea stilled. Aaryn didn't know if she'd ever seen her so motionless. Her gaze flicked between Aaryn's eyes. "How would they get here? We're hidden. Safe."

"Skymore."

Thea's expression hardened and she glanced into the distance, toward where they both knew Evergale lay. Where Rolim waited for his execution.

Aaryn did not know the plan. She did not know the intricacies of a mission like this.

But she knew, in this moment, that Thea had to choose between her brother and her people. And Aaryn hated that for her. And yet, the situation did not change just because Aaryn willed it to. Imagine that.

Thea turned to the few men and women already on dragonback. "Change of plan. I need⁠—"

They heard the screech of a nearby dragon, then the flap of wings. Scales the color of a fierce rain cloud eclipsed the bright sun as Carissa hovered with Stormstrike, grim determination set in the lines of her face. "Runa told me. I'm going to save my husband, with or without you."

Thea pivoted effortlessly, hand decisive as she motioned, voice impressive. Aaryn thought she was so, so admirable. When this was over, she would tell her. Show her.

"Six of you, go with Carissa. Fill her in as much as possible. Don't die. The other four, stay with us. Protect our people."

They parted, Carissa and the others headed to Evergale.

And then Thea led the way on Starspark's suddenly cooperative back, toward Claw Hold. Basically empty, which meant the fight had already begun, and the druids were protecting their own. Thea stopped them quickly by the training grounds, choosing weapons for Aaryn from a building she unlocked with a rune. Thea shoved a weapon into her hand, a crossbow. “This is easier than a full bow, just point and shoot. And—here,” she said, thrusting a staff in her direction. The top of it was coated in a shine she’d never seen before. It felt good in her hands, weighted on the one end just like her brush was.

“Try to stay on Starspark. But if you get knocked off or—” she shook her head as if she couldn’t bear the thought. “It’s dragon scale that’s been powdered down and melted with dragon’s breath. Stronger than metal. Use it just like we’ve been training, okay? The only difference is pointy end bad for enemy, yeah?” Thea told her, lips tense with the humor forced into her words.

“Hey,” Aaryn said, and cupped the back of her neck, pulling her close. “You taught me well. I’ll stay out of reach. I’ll be fine.”

Thea kissed her. Nodded, and then they were on Starspark again and flying through the barrier of the Heart.

A fire smoldered, unsupervised, the pot of stew hanging above its low flames beginning to bubble. A comical stack of bowls was scattered to the grass. Less comical were the anguished screams and terrified shouts spilling from the druids as their new neighbors suddenly turned on them with weapons.

Aaryn had never seen so much blood.

If they had targeted Claw Hold, maybe there would be less bodies. Instead, this was an isle full of refugees and families and homes and children. It was the Heart of Cloud Haven.