“I’m about to take you down,” Casteel growled.
I ignored him. “And if he doesn’t, what do you think the Duchess will do? The Queen? They’ll do what you did to your men. You’ll die. Every last one of you. That, I can promise.”
Faces paled and glances were exchanged. Several stepped back—
The sky was ripped apart by deep wails, by snapping growls and piercing howls that came from the woods and everywhere at once it seemed. It was a crescendo, a call that kept rising and rising, and was answered by yips and barks that seemed to come from the trees, from the bush surrounding the left side of the Rise, and from the western road.
The soldiers before us started to turn—
Wolven raced out from the forest, streaking over the ground and launching into the air. They were a sea of fur and claws, taking down soldiers, tearing through armor and flesh. I saw Jasper and Delano among them, Vonetta too, but there were…there had to be dozens and dozens of them, and their timing…
Their timing had been impeccable.
A large brown wolven lifted its head, ears perked. Another and another did the same, luminous pale eyes locking onto mine.
Slowly, I lowered the knife from my throat.
All of a sudden, it sounded like the Rise was coming down around us. Like a thousand boulders tumbling and falling to the ground from the sky, but the Rise still stood, and nothing, not even the stars had fallen. I swung toward Casteel.
He smirked, eyes lit from within as he took a step back, exhaling deeply.
What reminded me of thunder grew louder, and as I turned, I realized that what I’d heard was the pounding of hooves.
Pale horses poured out from between the trees and filled the western road, mud and blood streaking their legs as they kicked up dirt and grass. Moonlight glinted off golden armor and raised swords. Those blades—those horses—mowed through the lines and rows of soldiers as white banners streamed and rippled behind the pale mounts, banners bearing the golden sword and arrow lying across the sun. The crest of Atlantia.
Atlantia had come, and there were hundreds of them.
Tired muscles in my arms loosened as they charged past us, stirring the blood-soaked air and lifting the tendrils of hair that had escaped my braid. They set fire to the remaining catapults, to the wagons as they swarmed the Solis army, and I knew none would be left alive.
As the wolven followed the army, a warm, damp nose bumped my left hand, and I looked down into the pale blue eyes of a large, fawn-colored wolven.
Kieran nudged my hand again, and I opened it, revealing the golden mark and the ring on my finger.
“Yeah,” I said hoarsely. “You missed it.”
His ears perked as he looked over to where Casteel stood.
“You missed a lot,” the Prince said.
Kieran trotted over to him as I turned and saw the crimson carriage untouched.
Was she still in there? Or had she run?
I was walking before I knew, running toward the carriage, barely aware of Casteel shouting my name. I tore open the carriage door, and the Duchess hissed from the dimly lit interior. She lurched forward, catching herself on the door when she saw me.
Her eyes widened with surprise. “Penellaphe—”
I punched her in the face.
The Duchess stumbled backward, falling between the seats as she cupped her nose. Blood poured out between her fingers. “That hurt,” she seethed, glaring up at me as I climbed into the carriage.
“Things are going to hurt way worse than that,” I promised.
She lowered her hands. “When did you become so violent, Maiden?”
“I was always violent.” I caught her arm as she reached for something. My fingers curled around her cool skin. “And I was never the Maiden.”
“But you were. You always were.”
“Where is my brother?” I demanded.
“Come with me, and I’ll show you.”
I shook my head. “Where is Casteel’s brother?”
“With yours,” she said, and I didn’t believe her.
“Is he alive?”
“Which one?”
“Prince Malik.”
“How else would we have been able to Ascend Tawny if he wasn’t?”
I let go of her wrist as my stomach sunk. “You lie.”
“Why lie about that?”
“Because the Ascended do nothing but lie!”
“You know that Tawny couldn’t wait to Ascend.” She rose to her knees. “She was ecstatic when I told her the Queen had petitioned the gods for an exception, that she would Ascend. I sent her to the capital. The Queen did it for you. I told her how close you and Tawny are.”