Page 73 of A Bond So Deadly

“Aren’t we all,” he drawls, and he tucks my egg back against his chest before his shadows reach for me.

Riding on Professor Yevar’s snake is terrifying, but it’s nothing compared to the fear that fills me when I view the Xalgrith army up close. During my lessons at Shadowbone Academy, I learned all about the different battles fought in the shadow realm, but even the largest battles only included a few thousand Xalgrith warriors. My heart lurches as I stare at over a hundred thousand soldiers that cover the land.

“With this many warriors, they’ll conquer the shadow realm,” I whisper to Elgen and Tarlaz, dread coiling inside me as Professor Yevar’s animali flies us over the army. The warriors are grouped into sections. Some are marching in lines, while others are sparring or performing drills. In one section, hordes of warriors are working on massive weaponry. The devices look like metal catapults, and I shudder to think about the damage they could do.

“It looks like they’ve been amassing their forces for some time,” Tarlaz observes.

I don’t comment. Instead, I find myself thinking about the barren land below us. There aren’t any trees as far as I can see, and going by the scorched earth, they don’t get much rain.

“Do you think they’ve depleted all the resources here? Is that why they want the shadow realm?” I ask. It feels like the most logical explanation for the war, but the Xalgrith don’t seem like they’re desperate and starving.

“Your guess is as good as ours, girl,” Elgen replies.

Eventually, the ranks of warriors end, and we fly over rows and rows of tents. Professor Yevar’s cobra sets us down near the largest tent, positioned in the center. The professor dismounts, and I wince at the distance to the ground. Okay, Shade. Don’t make a fool of yourself. How hard can it—oof. My left foot catches on the cobra’s back as I swing my leg around, and I fall, but before I can break my neck, my shadows shoot out saving me at the last second. Phew!

“Well, that was graceful,” Elgen remarks as a few of the Xalgrith guards stationed outside the king’s tent snicker.

I grin. “Shade: one. Ground: zero.”

Professor Yevar doesn’t look impressed, and he ushers me toward the tent.

One of the guards opens the tent flap and announces our arrival, but Professor Yevar doesn’t wait. He strides inside, and I rush to keep up with him.

Flaming torches circle the main section inside the tent, illuminating a large rack of weapons that sits to my right. Lush, patterned rugs cover the floor, and at the back, King Malgur stands in front of a throne that looks like a smaller version to the one in the volcano. The king is gripping a sword that’s dripping with pale blood, and he glares at the Xalgrith warrior kneeling in front of him.

“Holy freaking crap, is that soldier missing both his arms?” I hiss to the shadows, and I strain my ears to make out what the armless warrior is stammering.

“T-they came out of nowhere, sire,” the soldier rasps. “The shadow demons took out our whole battalion.”

“Shadow demons?” I suck in a sharp breath. “He can’t be talking about my mates, can he?”

As if in answer, King Malgur’s gaze slides to me and Professor Yevar, and we stop a short distance away.

“And where was your battalion stationed at the time?” the king snarls, though he keeps his hard gaze locked on me.

“Near the Hollow Lands in the west, sire,” the warrior on his knees replies. “They took us by surprise. We couldn’t⁠—”

All it takes is a heartbeat and a slash of the king’s sword, and the warrior’s head thuds to the floor, followed by his body.

“And just like that I’m glad I didn’t eat,” I murmur to the shadows as I fight against the urge to run.

As if the warrior meant nothing, King Malgur hands his sword to a nearby soldier, and he turns, dropping onto his throne. The soldier hurries to clean the king’s blade, while two more warriors roll up the body in one of the carpets, and quickly remove it from the tent.

I tremble as King Malgur’s gaze holds me hostage.

“Any bright ideas?” I ask the shadows, though we all know I’m not going anywhere. I could try and run, but even if I managed to exit the tent, then where would I go?

“You heard what the soldier said,” Tarlaz replies. “The shadow demons are to the west. There is hope for us.”

My heart stutters. “So you do think they were talking about my mates?”

“The king is concerned,” Elgen rasps. “I think it’s a likely explanation.”

The king doesn’t look concerned to me, but my heart races at the idea that my mates might be close. As quickly as it comes, my hope deflates when I remember where I am. “But they can’t come here. They can’t take on the whole Xalgrith army. You’ve seen how many warriors there are.”

“I’m sure that won’t stop them from trying,” Elgen replies.

Her words aren’t comforting and instead worry twists through me. I want to get out of here, but not if my mates are going to die during the rescue.