Page 181 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
‘They have magic,’ the king reminded her.
Rio smiled faintly. ‘So do we.’ She raised her hands, andfaint sparks of gold flickered to life upon her fingertips.
‘Do we trust this isn’t a trap?’ Adriana asked.
‘The rest of the witches are likely marching towards Velunthar,’ Rio said. ‘They’ve sent this group here simply to delay our arrival. I would have done the same. Those witches waiting out there are little more than sacrifices.’
Adriana sighed quietly. ‘What if we march through wolverian lands instead?’
‘It would take far too long,’ Rio replied.
‘Then we continue with the plan,’ King Ozul declared. ‘Adriana and I will ride ahead on the wyverns. The rest of the army will follow on foot.’
The king did not pause to hear any objections. He turned and strode from the wall at once, his closest soldiers falling into step behind him.
Rio made her way back down from the wall to where the rest of the Fae were gathered, waiting in tense silence among the restless ranks of the wyverian army.
‘We prepare for battle,’ she said. As she spoke, a soft golden glow kindled at her fingertips. She brushed her hands across the protective guards on her arms, leaving faint streaks of shimmering magic behind. ‘We march now. We will try to raise a shield to protect us from their attacks.’
‘The wyverian army is enormous,’ Rowan pointed out. ‘We can’t make a shield large enough to cover them all.’
He was right.
Rio knew it.
‘But we have enough power to protect ourselves,’ Rowan added.
Rio hesitated at that.
‘We are meant to stand as one in this fight, Rowan,’ she said quietly.
Rowansnorted under his breath but offered no further argument.
It was not long before Elowen appeared. She touched Rio lightly on the arm, announcing her presence. It was unnecessary, but it was something they had done since childhood. Rowan and Elowen had always touched Rio’s arm when they approached, a gentle warning so they would not startle her. By now she could sense them long before their fingers brushed her sleeve. And yet they still did it.
Rio had never once told them to stop.
‘I sneaked ahead to take a look,’ Elowen whispered, careful to keep her voice low so the others would not overhear.
‘I suspected as much when I didn’tseeyou beside the king,’ Rio replied lightly.
‘We’re about to walk into battle, Rio, and you’re standing here making jokes,’ Rowan said, reaching over to grab one of her short dreadlocks and tugging it playfully.
‘Well, if we don’t laugh now, I’m not sure when we’re meant to,’ Rio said. She ran a quick check over her clothes and the daggers strapped to her belt, ensuring each blade sat exactly where it should, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice. ‘Did you find anything?’ she asked, directing the question to Elowen.
‘Surprisingly, no,’ Elowen replied. She bounced lightly from foot to foot, a restless habit she slipped into whenever boredom crept upon her, and one that had always driven Rio a little mad. ‘It’s almost as if they know they’ve been sent out to be sacrificed.’
‘Which means we need to break through quickly,’ Rio said. ‘They don’t want this army reaching Velunthar.’
‘Then let’s make it quick,’ Rowan said far too cheerfully.
Rio drove her elbow sharply into his ribs.
‘This isn’t a competition, Rowan,’ shewarned.
‘Since when?’
‘We need a plan,’ Rio said firmly. ‘If we do this right, we might spare the army the trouble.’
