Page 389 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

Duh. Now stay alive so you can bribe me with a house in Italy or another McLaren.

I’m sorry.

I know.

But I need you to hear it.

You needed to unload that bullshit on someone who could take it. So I could have you up there now, acting as overwatch.

You didn’t deserve it.

And you deserve to be happy. If you’re not⁠—

The story’s not over.

Amen. Now are we doing this sappy sire-calling nonsense, or are you calling plays, Commander?

I chuckled aloud.

Mags raised an eyebrow. “Sorry,” I said. “Making up with Ally.”

Guilt flickered across her face—but then we both flinched as Ansel and Lana appeared on the roof, striding toward us.

“Second Hierarchy grouping at the west barricade,” Ansel greeted, all business. “August’s shield is holding, but we need to break that formation before they push through.”

“Send Ally’s pyros to flank from high ground.”

On it, Ally chirped in my mind, like this was a training op.

“Where’s our aerial?”

“Cyrus still hasn’t heard from his people.”

“Okay—then send the earth elementals in behind. Pin them between the walls and our blades.”

“And Moros?”

“We give him a reason to come front and center.”

“Alec’s working on it.”

“Adrastos?”

“At his side.”

Dread curdled in my gut. Should’ve killed him. The moment he demanded it of me, I should’ve slid my blade over his throat. I knew it. But Ally insisted we needed him. The problem was, I didn’t know how many of us would survive having them both in play. Adrastos was too good at this game—and I still didn’t understand how his death tied to Magnolia and Blythe’s.

“Godspeed,” I murmured. Ansel and Lana echoed the word before vanishing as quickly as they’d come.

Fuck me, Ally whined through the link. Marcus is about to need us.

Not sure if you noticed, but we’re a little preoccupied, Freya fired back.

Still, that dread twisted deeper. Grayshell never failed Westerlund. We couldn’t start now.

Why? I asked.

They’re hitting us on all fronts, Ally answered. But if we go now, we can do it. We left enough strength here to contain the chaos. That gate’s smaller than this monstrosity.