Page 248 of Of Masks and Fury

The night pressed in close, and I stiffened my resolve.

We would win or we would all burn.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

TREW

The wasteland had never looked more like death, with skeletal trees reaching up toward the sky, pools of fetid water, and silence so complete it screamed.

Our dragon’s wings beat with exhaustion, each stroke dragging us through air that smelled of things long since rotted. Isi rode with me while Kerralyn and Addie flew on Nim, Addie’s body flickering translucent before returning to full color. The veil-sickness still haunted her. We had very little time before the controllers’ ritual tore the veil wide enough to let in more Skathes. Their army would then consume everything we knew and loved.

Gavelle and Pherin soared ahead, Pherin’s teal and gold feathers barely visible against the gray sky.

Per Kerralyn, the fortress sat in a canyon a day’s walk southwest of Marlane’s property. Once we found it, we’d move as close as we dared, then send Pherin in to scout. She was so tiny, she might not be seen. As long as the second controller didn’t recognize her, she’d be safe and could report back what she found.

There were too many unknowns in this plan, and I didn’t like it. But we had no choice. We had to stop the controllers or our world would be jeopardized forever.

“Addie’s fading again,” Isi said softly. “We should’ve made her remain behind.”

“She wouldn’t have done it. Better to bring her with us where we can watch over her.”

Kerralyn leaned forward, pointing. “Can you see that low mountain range? The fortress is carved into the northern canyon wall. It’s three levels of stone reinforced with magic.”

Gavelle flew ahead, and I studied it through his eyes, a large structure of dark stone rising from corrupted earth. Skathe patrols moved around the perimeter. Someone was directing them and the thought of that made my skin crawl.

I guided our dragons to a narrow ridge a few hours’ walk from the fortress, hidden behind a spine of jagged boulders that would conceal us from any far-reaching patrols. The moment we landed, Addie swayed and Kerralyn caught her with an arm around her waist.

“I’m fine,” Addie said, though her voice carried the breathless quality of someone fighting to stay alert. Her fingers flickered translucent before going solid again.

Isi slid from the dragon’s back and rushed over to hold her arms up. Kerralyn helped Addie down and Isi wrapped her arms around her sister, helping her remain upright.

I dismounted, surveying the corrupted landscape stretching toward the fortress. “We’ll go on foot from here. Gavelle, Pherin, and Dare? Scout ahead. Report any patrols, any movement.”

The three winged companions launched skyward, disappearing into the gray wasteland. Kerralyn’s mole clung to her shoulder while Addie’s small silvery drake pressed against her leg.

We moved in single file down the rocky slope, using the skeletal remains of what had once been a forest for cover. Silence throbbed in my ears. No birdsong. No rustle of small creatures. Just the whisper of wind through bone-white branches and the soft crunch of our boots on corrupted ground.

Isi held up her hand and we froze.

“Pherin said there are Skathes coming our way,” she whispered.

We ducked behind boulders, and I counted heartbeats while we waited. The creatures passed in the open area below us, their movements coordinated. Someone was definitely controlling them.

After they’d disappeared around a bend, we continued our descent. It took over an hour to reach a position where we could observe the fortress directly. It looked even more imposing up close.

“There,” Kerralyn breathed, pointing to a narrow entrance carved into the cliff face. “That’s where they took the others when they were caught.” Her jaw tightened and tears shimmered in her eyes. “I don’t know how they missed me. Just lucky I guess.”

Isi squeezed her friend’s hand.

Gavelle and Dare returned first, Gavelle landing on my shoulder and Dare on the ground. Through our bond, I felt my companion’s unease. Too many Skathes. Too much magic crackling through the air. The place reeked of corruption.

“Pherin is going inside now,” Isi whispered. “She’ll look for our friends.”

“Tell her to be careful,” I said. “One glimpse of trouble and she comes back.”

Isi nodded.

We settled on the ground behind the boulders, laying sacks with the weapons we’d brought nearby. Addie leaned against Kerralyn’s shoulder while I kept watch on the patrols with Gavelle and Dare. Isi pressed her fingers to her temples, maintaining the connection with Pherin.