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“Fucking Fates, we need to go now,” I snapped, already turning back for my mount.
“Goddess damn it,” Vadim swore, then popped up and shouted, “Charge!”
The roar of three hundred thousand Night Fae filled the night sky as they descended over the Iron Realm’s army.
31
Another cartful of Iron Fae ground to a halt in front of me. “Half of you add your supplies into the cave,” I instructed, pointing to a carved opening in the rock across from us. “The other half, grab your tents and join the others in making camp outside.” The company offered me a salute before their commander divided them up. All around me, soldiers performed their duties with ease, taking what little time we had left before the real battles would begin. Unfortunately, we were stuck in the Day Realm until Ruslan called for us.
As the general of the Iron Realm’s army, I wanted to be where the action was, carrying out battle plans I’d so painstakingly put together after reading countless histories from the greatest generals Ravasz had ever seen – including a book by the Deathcaller himself. Instead, I was stuck in the back of the tunnels, coordinating the new arrivals and trying to organize for the moment we were needed.
The next cart rolled forward. I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice was drowned out by a tidal wave of sound. Every head whipped toward the maw of the mountain, and I cursed thetorches that lined the hall and prevented me from peering into the night.
The rage-filled battle cry was unmistakable, especially as a horn cut through the receding wave of it.
Fuck me.
Our calculations had been partially wrong. Kazimir did barge into the Day Realm, thinking he could conquer it as handily as he had the Crystal Realm.
Only we wouldn’t be lying in wait for him; he had lain in wait for us.
We were being ambushed.
A dozen orders sprang from my throat as I tried to organize before everything slipped into chaos. “You! Send word to Artur and the others who went to the Crystal Realm that we need reinforcements.Now.” The Iron Fae I’d pointed at immediately hopped into one of the carts still half-filled with supplies and sped off in the direction of the artery that linked up with all other tracks beneath the Agrenak Mountains.
“Commanders, organize your units!”
“Shift if you can, drink the potion if you need it!”
“Build a wall of fire and earth around our perimeter!”
“Ready the arrows and whips and tip them in toxins!”
Around me, every warrior sprang into action. A group of Félvér females shifted into large birds and screeched as they flew through the tunnel and out into the open, shifting again and relaying my orders to those outside my shouting range.
Screams erupted before a fire could illuminate the night. Cursing, I yanked a glass bottle of shifting potion from a nearby cart and chugged the thick liquid down. “Once I breathe my Dragon fire over them, everything will catch. I need you to ensure the entire Day Realm doesn’t burn while we cook the Night Fae alive. Organize a unit to fly over the lines and build awall around us to prevent its spread,” I commanded one of the winged Félvér leaders.
“Yes, sir,” he replied before racing away to corral his unit. I trusted him to carry out my orders, and with the itching already spreading across my skin, I knew I needed to get outside, fast.
I sprinted and shouted orders along the way, doing everything I could for those under my command before I could no longer communicate with them. The shock of the ambush had worn off, and training began kicking in all around. The flow of people out of the tunnel was hindered by its narrow opening, but the screams from beyond had everyone charging through and not lingering. Pride swelled in my chest as none of my soldiers balked at the challenge before us.
By the time I reached the exit, the Day Realm truly looked like the day, with large fires spearing into the sky and blasts of silver knocking infantry about. Behind me, two deep voices called my name, and I spun and stripped off my armor simultaneously as they caught up.
Xorrek and Gozzak, the two Demons who had volunteered to lead, careened to a stop, their red-rimmed eyes wild with excitement, followed by High Lords Anton and Slavian, the two Félvér bachelors who sought violence and pleasure like it was their job.
“Before you go mute, what do you want us to do?” Slavian asked.
My sword clattered to the ground, along with the plates covering my arms. “They’ve probably surrounded us on all sides. Hold the line as much as possible and try to get everyone back inside without letting the Night Fae in.” I was naked from the waist up by the time I finished speaking, and already, lapis lazuli scales coated my skin.
“Can I trust you to lead while I’m in the sky?” I asked, kicking off my boots.
Why had we split our forces like this?
“Absolutely. We’ve sat in on enough meetings that we know what to do,” Xorrek replied, drawing two axes from his back.
“Besides, we fought in the Great War,” Gozzak said, flashing his white teeth, highlighting his sharpened canines, while Anton did the same, his eyes glowing golden as his Wolf prepared to take over.
The shift ripped through me before I could respond. My Dragon form was so massive, I knocked the Demons back. They recovered quickly, calling on their membranous black wings and shooting into the sky, offering me a salute before they flew into the midst of the chaos, leaving Anton and Slavian to bark orders on the ground. I was airborne and roaring a heartbeat later, not wanting to crush my own people beneath my massive talons.
