IGNATIUS KEPT A TIGHT HOLD on Cat while Belsesus moved slowly forward, following the Halenine fae who surrounded the emerging army, encouraging them along. The sinuous voices of the fae drifted on the air while they guided the sun blind group. Ignatius found the sudden influx of smells a shock and he could smell death. Cat leaned back, groping blindly for his face, he realized, when her fingers connected with his chin and traced to his ear. Carefully, Ignatius bent forward, not wanting to head-butt her by accident. 'Yes?''What's that smell?' she whispered.Shifting in the saddle when Belsesus started downhill, Ignatius wrapped both arms around her while bracing back with his thighs. About to answer the query, he froze in astonishment at the sigh and shudder that ran through her body. He knew that kind of sigh, she'd done it enough times at his midnight caresses. Disbelievingly, he tested the theory while pretending to adjust his hold and spread his fingers, fanning his hands wide be
THE RELIEF AT LEAVING IGNATIUS behind, and the sane answer provided by Kassie, felt fantastic. I rolled my eyes when Kassie shot me a conniving look and elbowed me in the ribs. 'You just love a guy in uniform.''Shut-up,' I hissed, flushing while she took obvious delight in my discomfort. 'You said it wasn't my fault.''Doesn't stop it being funny.''So, Cat. How you doing?' Sian gave me her best cheesy smile and Kassie doubled in laughter, hands pressed to her mouth to keep quiet.Moving around us, checking the perimeter and getting our position, the men kept casting confused, curious looks our way. Sian threw an arm around my waist. 'Least you know how to lighten the mood.'I tipped my head back, lips trembling with the effort to stop a smile and gave a long-suffering sigh.Kassie went still and made a sharp motion with her arms and everyone froze, eyes glued to her. I felt pressure on the shield, like something pushed against it. She looked at me with shocked eyes and I re
I BOOTED MYSELF MENTALLY WHILE following Ignatius.Curse my glass face! It seemed he might have picked up on my earlier-err-intentions. Just keep it appropriately friendly, I thought, you'll be fine.I edged my way down the steep slope while he strode ahead, knowing if I tried to copy his walk I'd fall on my face. He reached the outlook where the other Lieutenants stood and they all turned to look while I scooted down the hillside, not quite on my backside but close enough. The men developed that patronizing expression of humouring a simpleton. Gredel offered a hand when I got within reach and winked when I twisted my mouth to stop a smile, knowing how silly I looked.'Well you don't want me cart-wheeling off down the hillside now,' I muttered and straightened up, brushing my hands off.Belsesus nodded with a stern set mouth but eyes that laughed at me. 'Very true, Princess.'The trees grew taller down here, with just enough undergrowth to provide concealment from those on the v
SIAN LISTENED WHILE DARON DISCUSSED various tactics with Nesha and Sito, as Sabyn and Rumal talked nearby. When the light dimmed the soldiers set their torches about the site unlit, relying on the glow given off by the chemicals. Gredel joined the other men and Cat appeared from further down the track, and helped the cookproviding heat for boiling water and cooking food. After dinner Sian watched Cat sit with Kassie, linking energy to provide some relief. It frustrated her to watch the ease with which Cat could use her energy now.If only our energy would evolve too, Sian thought, the outcome of this battle would be certain. Cat's energy sounded so quiet compared to theirs and it had a resonance that even Elena's energy didn't have. Daron squeezed her arm and she glanced up with a smile, shrugging away his questioning look with a wry glance at Cat. He drew her close, brown eyes warm and kissed her forehead.'Don't fret about what you can't change, Pix,' he murmured in her ear. She wr
IGNATIUS NEVER USUALLY SLEPT ON the eve of battle but the warmth Cat created soothed him into a lull. A firm hand on his shoulder made him jerk awake, body reacting instantly, and he flipped Cat onto the ground behind him.'Peace, Ignatius,' said an amused voice. 'It's Cat's turn to shield.'The dim light from the lamp Sabyn offered showed the faint smile he wore when he handed the torch over before disappearing in the dark. Behind Ignatius, Cat muttered as she staggered to her feet and he reached to steady her before realizing he clutched a dagger.He slid it back in its sheath and caught her arm. 'Sorry about that, are you good to shield?''Yes,' she said in a dazed voice before shaking her head. 'Do we need to move from here?''I suppose not.'They settled back next to Loushka and Cat worked at her shield. It fascinated Ignatius to watch and see the differences between her shield and Kassie's. It made him appreciate the varying nuances amongst the different elements. The faint
TOMIAR'S SHARP EYES EASILY PICKED out a spot to land on the ridge, the scarce light no hindrance to her, and they dropped silently from the sky. Sabyn held Loi tight for a moment, pressing his cheek to hers. 'It'll be okay, goddess. We'll do this and I'll get you home. Promise.'He pressed a kiss to her cheek and she twisted her head, lifting her mouth to his, her hand gripping the plait he wore. Everything unsaid flowed through that kiss; love, terror, determination, and anger. When they separated, she sucked in a rough breath, a lump wedging in her throat. Sabyn hugged her tight again, so tight her bones creaked, and yet still not tight enough in that moment and she clung to him. Kerak landed beside Tomiar and they released each other and slid down to the ground.Kassie stood waiting when Loi's feet hit the ground and they hugged tight, energies linked with thoughts flashing through the link while they readied themselves. Then Kassie walked to where Rumal and Kerak stood. Loi staye
IGNATIUS GRIPPED MY WAIST WHEN we spotted it, leaning forward for a better look. Along the ridgeline, standing tall and proud, appeared to be a massive army of centaurs. From here, they looked real. Our army made sounds of approval before all gazes turned to the valley floor; would it work?Another rumble of sound rolled out developing into the roar of hundreds of thousands of voices in unison.'AHHH KA MATE, KA MATE, KA ORA, KA ORA.'My jaw dropped and I twisted to look at Sian, who wore the same astonished expression. Hell! Does she know all the words?Sian, head to the side while she listened, shook her head with a grin. Not exactly, she just substituted some Malay in there too.It sounds really good!'What is that?' demanded Ignatius, and all the soldiers around us listened with intent faces, nodding in approval at the harsh guttural way Kassie projected it.'Err-,' I scrambled for a moment, trying to think of the definition of the haka. 'Oh! It's a war chant, from our realm
'LET'S GO!' RUMAL YELLED.Kerak and Tomiar launched into the air. Kassie hung to the saddle handles while staring hard through the gap between Kerak's neck and shoulder. The dust cloud made it difficult to see anything and she called in a squally wind that blew at their army's back, straight into the eyes of the enemy.'Clever girl!' thought Kerak, watching those who took the brunt of the dust stagger, becoming easy pickings for their troops.'God, look what Loi did,' Kassie thought to the griffon, while gaping at the mess of deep black trenches that broke the valley into narrow sections of riverbed.'It's fantastic,' Rumal called in her ear. 'Look how it narrows the number of enemies. We actually stand a chance of holding them off.'He's right, Kassie realized, watching the centaurs charge, attacking elgrids and men, barely needing to use weapons instead utilizing their weight and speed to throw enemies over the edge.'DRAGONS!' Kerak thought with a piercing shriek of alarm.