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Iryana looked to her side, stomach dropping. The fire had gotten much lower than it was at the beginning, stretches now barely aflame. The pitch was meant to burn for hours; had it truly been that long? She risked a glance at the sun and realized it was hovering just above the horizon.

“I can’t do this much longer,” Tonhald said, Edvar adding his agreement.

They’d lose the advantage once the dakii could crest the cliff’s edge, would be boxed in against the gate from all other directions. They wouldn’t be able to hold like that for long.

Iryana tried to think of an alternative to losing the ledge, but she had hoped they’d never reach this point. Her mind spun and spun but came up empty.

“Dakii—to the left!” Uncle Dinhal warned, moving to meet it as the monster ran through what remained of the dying flames.

“Abandon the ledge!” Iryana called up to the soldiers on the ledge.

The dakii seemed to sense their advantage, cresting the cliff to either side of them.

“Hurry!” Iryana shouted desperately.

The guardians moved into a half-circle formation, Misha using a wood and iron spear at Iryana’s side, as they fought off the beasts. From the corner of her eye, Iryana watched a great two-horned dakya take advantage of Levek, holding off another, and swipe at his leg.

Levek screamed, dropping to his knee, but catching the beast with his sword spear.

She was about to scream again for those on the wall to hurry when she heard the thunk of two rope ladders dropping from the top of the wall. They couldn’t open the gate; it would take too long to remove the huge boards bracing it before the dakii swarmed it.

“Tonhald, help Levek up!” she ordered.

They closed rank as Tonhald grabbed his brother under the shoulder and hauled him to the ladder. She heard plenty of grunts, but she kept her focus on the fight. She couldn’t stop to worry about anything behind her. She could only worry about the dakii swarming the ledge.

“We’re up!” Tonhald shouted.

“Misha and Edvar!” she ordered, as she continued to hold off the beasts.

“You ready for this, Uncle?” Iryana panted as they backed up, and Misha and Edvar leaped for the ladder.

“As I’ve said—” Uncle Dinhal grunted as he shoved a beast off the cliff, “It’s always an honor to fight by your side.”

She hoped they’d make it. She and Uncle Dinhal had the best chance of surviving while the others got over the wall.

They fought so well at each other’s side. Lunging and thrusting, slashing the beasts. Black blood sprayed all around them. Dakii roared as they were thrust over the edge of the cliff. She wasn’t sure how she kept moving. Her body was so exhausted, but they didn’t stop.

When Misha called down that they were up, Iryana ordered, “Now you, Uncle!”

“Let me guard you, Iryana,” her uncle begged. His breathing was haggard. “Let me protect you.”

“This fight isn’t over. I’m lighter and a lot easier to pull up. Go!”

Her uncle thankfully didn’t argue further, just took one more swipe at a dakii and then raced to the ladder. She backed up, giving him cover to climb, moving faster than she had in her life. She didn’t aim for kill shots, just enough to hold them back a little longer. The added strength from her double-forged magic let her hold on.

Dakii jumped at her from both directions, and Iryana barely dodged, swinging her spear in a large figure-eight to keep them all back. Arrows rained down from above to help her. The dakii pressed in.

“Get on the ladder!” Uncle Dinhal screamed from above.

But there were too many, and Iryana couldn’t stop for a moment, or they’d be on her.

“Get on the gods-damned ladder, Iryana!” That voice was Pyetar, bellowing down at her desperately.

She backed up until she felt the ladder, slipped one foot onto the lowest rung, and then dropped one hand off her spear to grab onto it.

She was barely doing more than waving the spear at the dakii now, but the ladder rose with jerky jumps before the beasts realized she couldn’t guard her back. A dakya leaped, maw gaping wide, black teeth dripping with red blood.

An arrow sunk into each of its eyes, and while it died instantly, the creature’s momentum didn’t stop. The beast slammed into her, and Iryana had to drop her forgings, summoning what remained of her shield and clinging to the ladder with all her strength. Still, her head bounced against the wooden wall and pain spasmed through her body.