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  Phoenix Squad gave them no time for a second volley.

  Ice plummeted into the archers, thin shards from Kael, larger boulders from the trailing Clara and Saul. Bree clenched her fists around her sword hilts, dipping closer while the other three moved higher into the sky for safety. Her blood was fire. The element was a part of her, and more and more she realized how great a gift she and her brother carried. What limits had they not tested? What depths did their power possess that they were yet to discover?

  I am the fire, Bree thought as she raced overhead Center’s invading army. Now obey.

  She slashed with her swords, shaping the fire in her mind exactly as Instructor Kime had taught her. Her blades gave her focus; her confidence gave her power. The fire about her swords leapt from the metal as Bree felt her elemental prism drain. The projectiles took shape, an enormous X made of two long streaks of flame more than one hundred yards of length hitting the ground with a roar. It looked like the finger of God burning two lines across the dead land. Any archer caught in its wake collapsed amid the smoke, more ash to fill the battle-scarred field.

  Bree arced into the air, breathing heavily as her vertigo rapidly came and went. The maneuver wasn’t as exhausting as releasing all her fire in a great prism-draining explosion, but it still carried a heavy toll. She scanned the archers and saw the few that remained fleeing south.

  Good riddance, she thought.

  “Bree!” she heard someone scream. She looked about, realized she’d been staring off into nowhere. Saul was beside her, his hand on her wrist to keep them steady. His face was a perfect mixture of worry and annoyance. “We need you!”

  Kael and Clara were already barreling toward the chaotic fight with the knights. Bree felt a pang of guilt, and she nodded to Saul.

  “I’m here,” she reassured him. “Let’s go.”

  The two trailed a half minute behind Kael and Clara, giving Bree a chance to assess the aerial battle. The Weshern Seraphim looked ready to retreat, their defensive retaliations all the more desperate. Despite having a two-to-one numbers advantage they’d failed to score a single kill on the knights. The superior skill of their foes was weighing on them. Any moment they might break completely, one fall leading rapidly to another. Bree knew Argus had ordered the other Seraphim to perform hit-and-run tactics, but with the knights’ superior wings, they’d be hard-pressed to do so without sustaining significant casualties. It seemed the Phoenix Squad’s arrival could not happen at a more fortuitous time.

  Kael’s shield led the way, a reckless charge straight at the nearest knight. Clara followed in his silver path, taking steady, careful shots with ice lances. The two Weshern Seraphs who’d been fleeing immediately spun about, unleashing their own assault of lightning and stone. Under attack from all sides, the knight had no chance. Lightning struck him down, freeing Clara, Kael, and the other two Seraphs to shift focus to two other knights.

  The knights knew the battle was hopeless and immediately turned to retreat. One went east, the other west, both leaving the ground troops to fend for themselves. Bree directed Saul to join her in pursuing the westward knight. They came in at an angle from the southwest, cutting off his retreat. Kael chased the other, able to outrun even the fastest of knight harnesses.

  Farther, Bree signaled to Saul, gesturing for him to fly an even sharper, westward angle. The two separated, Bree watching the knight with an unblinking gaze. He’d see her soon, which would leave him two options. One would be to engage her directly, allowing the others in chase to catch up. The other would be curl northwest, adjusting his retreat so she could not cut him off, nor could the others catch up. That move would put him directly into Saul’s new path.

  A warning spike in her heart forced her into a dodge as she realized the skilled knight had chosen to do both. He curled northwest, flying backward as he shifted his body so he could fire with his gauntlet at his pursuers. A burst of lightning crackled through the air, streaking so close above Bree’s head she could feel the hairs of her neck stand on end. Bree immediately shifted left, then rolled to the right. You couldn’t dodge lightning the same way you dodged ice or fire. You had to fly erratic, never letting your foe predict your path. Lightning tended to shoot in very thin beams, requiring pinpoint accuracy, whereas wide plumes of flame or tremendous boulders of stone covered a far larger area.

  Bree purposely kept her dodges shifting her to the west. If she kept him focused on her, and not the blind path he traveled …

  Two more blasts ripped within feet of Bree’s body, and then Saul arrived. He streaked in from below, clutching his gauntlet with his free hand and blasting a single, lengthy lance of ice. The sharpened projectile struck the knight in the abdomen and sank in deep. His golden wings flickered, then ceased completely, the body beginning a lengthy, curving death spiral to the ground below.

  Bree shifted to watch for Kael and Clara, and she smiled at the sight of a sky free of knightly wings. Had her brother caught up with the other knight, or had Clara brought him down with her ice? Perhaps if by some miracle they all survived, Bree could ask them one day. The other Seraphs seized the moment to attack the cannons along the back row and send the remaining soldiers scattering like rats from a burning building.

  The leader of the other four Seraphim flew to Bree, gathering the others around her.

  “Commander Argus is calling for us to regroup over Owl Creek Crossing,” she said. Blood trickled down her lips, her face was covered with bruises, but the older woman looked overwhelmed with excitement. “Aid flies in from our allies, and we must capitalize.”

  “Very well,” Bree said. “Lead the way, and we’ll follow.”

  The nine of them zoomed across Weshern, leaving the initial battle line behind. Bree hated the thought of letting the conquering forces destroy land and homes unimpeded, but her worries appeared unfounded. She looked to the east and west, and saw the distant golden stars that were knights pulled back.

  They need to protect all sides now, Bree thought. We’ll never get a better chance than this.

  Bree saw more than a dozen Seraphim hovering over Owl Creek. Even more heartening, still several miles away from the wide red bridge that traversed the creek, the massed ground troops of Weshern’s army marched, finally ready to clash with Center’s.

  The nine landed near the stream, guided by a waiting Seraph. The others in the sky dropped low, joining the meeting. Bree kept to the outside, arms crossed as she listened. Commander Argus stood in the center of their circle, silently counting numbers. Bree managed eye contact with him only a moment. His relief was palpable.

  “Seraphim of Weshern!” Argus shouted. His silver wings hummed as he raised himself a foot off the ground so all would see and hear. “For once, Center faces a foe greater than herself. We have made their soldiers pay. We have brought low knights spread far too thin across our lands. And now, in this hour, the Seraphim of Sothren, Elern, and Candren fly to join us in our stand. From all sides, we will rip them apart. From every angle, they will find our fire and ice. We picked at them like a swarm of insects, but now we fly together, a singular blow to break them completely.”

  A chorus of tired cheers met his speech. Argus refused to let emotion touch his face, his lips never budging from his firm, focused frown.

  “There will be no surrender,” he said. “This is it. This is our moment to shatter the bones in the Speaker’s fist as he fails to hold us in his grip. Make your nation proud.”

  The various squads took to the air, gathering in groups for the upcoming charge. Argus gestured for Bree to wait, and so she did. When the others were airborne the commander shut off his wings to land beside her.

  “There will be no second chances,” he told her. “No more battles if we lose this one. I’m having the rest of your squad join Chernor’s. As for yourself, I’d like you to be among what is left of my wolves. We must use every advantage we can muster, and that includes your flames. Will you lead the way, Phoenix?”

  Bree glanced to
her brother, hovering alongside Clara in the sky.

  “I will,” she said. “But only if Kael flies with me.”

  Argus seemed surprised but did not argue the matter.

  “If that is required,” he said. “So be it.”

  Bree smiled.

  “Thank you.”

  She joined the rest of her squad of four. They eyed her warily, having seen her brief discussion with Argus.

  “I’m to lead the assault,” Bree told them. “Kael, I want you there with me when I do.”

  “You sure that’s a good idea?” he asked. The eagerness in his eyes belied his hesitation.

  “I’m sure,” she said. “Saul, Clara, you’re to join Chernor’s squad.”

  “Special treatment as usual,” Saul said, but he sounded more amused than annoyed. “Stay safe, you two.”

  “Thank you,” Bree said. Clara hovered close, her arms wrapping her in a brief embrace.

  “Keep Kael safe for me, will you?” she asked softly.

  “Quite the opposite,” Bree said, forcing a grin in an attempt for comfort. “It’s Kael that’ll be keeping me safe.”

  Clara smiled as she pulled away.

  “Of course,” she said. “What was I thinking?”

  She turned to Kael, embracing him as well. Saul thudded a fist against his breast, and Bree responded in kind.

  “Bree! Kael!”

  Olivia hovered close, gesturing for them to hurry. A mild press of the throttle and Bree drifted away. Only three original members of Wolf Squad remained alongside Argus, now that Chernor was to lead his own squad. Bree took point, Kael beside her, the two pushing the Wolf Squad up to six.

  The rest of Weshern’s Seraphim rose up around her. Bree felt a deep ache, for they were a pale number compared to their force that had assaulted Galen in her first ever battle. So devastating, the cost of the past few months.

  Kael flew to her right, Argus her left, and the commander hovered close to relay an order.

  “I believe the other islands are waiting for us to start the battle, so do not hesitate. Aim for the heart of Center’s forces. When knights gather to defend against us, fly straight toward their number.”

  Such a bold gambit, but if it succeeded they might overwhelm the angelic knights before the battle had a chance to begin.

  “Understood,” she said.

  Bree pushed her throttle steadily higher, feeling the wind whip against her body as she increased in speed. The remaining Seraphim followed in unison, giving her an undeniable thrill. The hum of their wings sang a deep chorus, fifty pairs blazing a silver trail across the blue sky. Bree did as commanded, leading them straight into the heart of the blasted ash and ruin wrought by Center’s cannons. She kept her swords sheathed. She had a time planned for their reveal, but it was not yet.

  The army of Center’s knights slowly came into view, two dozen golden wings merging together from all parts of Weshern. Bree spotted dozens more to the southeast and southwest, forming lines to engage the armies of the other islands. With the knights separated, this was their best chance to crush the superiorly skilled and equipped enemy.

  Bree slowed slightly, allowing Kael to catch up. She grabbed his wrist with her right hand, steadying them in flight as she drifted closer.

  “Take lead,” she shouted.

  He looked at her as if she were insane.

  “That’s your job,” he shouted back.

  Bree grinned, her excitement growing.

  “Lead with your shield, and I’ll follow. It’s time they feared both Skyborn twins.”

  A tiny part of her had feared her brother would back down from the challenge. That tiny part of her was dead wrong.

  “Fine,” he shouted. “Try to keep up.”

  Kael readied his shield, the light about it growing brighter as his wings flashed a brilliant silver. Bree knew his salvaged knight wings were already faster than the rest worn by Weshern. When combined with his innate connection to the light prism, he’d be a soaring comet ahead of their forces, and Bree would be its fiery tail.

  The distance closed between them. The knights spread out into pockets of three, the trios hovering in tight triangle formations. Bree jammed her wrist hooks onto the top of her hilts and then pulled the weapons free. Fire bathed her blades. She twirled, wrapping the silver light about her and mixing it with her flame into a glorious spiral. All eyes would be upon their approach. All of Center would learn to fear that mixture of light and flame.

  The knights burst into motion, charging headfirst into the fray. Kael’s wings blazed in kind, pulling him farther and farther ahead. Bree jammed her throttle to the max, her heart pounding with adrenaline as she tried to keep up.

  Knights launched their initial salvo. Walls of ice and stone formed barriers against Weshern’s return fire, as well as screens to disguise movement. Bree spotted fireballs racing their way, coupled with a massive slab of stone formed by the combined effort of three knights. At their speed, dodging was impossible, but they needn’t dodge at all. Bree clutched her swords tightly and trusted her brother.

  The silver light about Kael’s shield magnified in size like an exploding star. The balls of flame vanished into smoke the moment they made contact. The stone wall shattered at its touch, blasting apart as if God himself had smote it with his fist. Bree kept in her brother’s wake, determined to follow his lead to the very end. A wide spread of knights baffled by their survival hovered before them. Kael zoomed for their center, showing no fear of their numbers, and then broke suddenly for the nearest knight. The woman, having slowed to help create the stone wall, had no chance to escape. Her body shattered against the silver wall of light.

  Kael curled back toward the rest of the forces. He didn’t release his ice. He didn’t try to hide his path. He just flew. Bree spotted another knight trying, and failing, to pierce Kael’s shield with his lightning. She zipped out of the path of light, her blazing swords hungry. The knight cut skyward, but Bree had the better angle. She twirled just before impact, lashing his body with both swords to the chest, severing him from his harness. His body plummeted, his wings continuing on a moment longer before shutting off. Bree arced back into Kael’s silver path as quick as she exited, following him through the knights’ formation and out the other side.

  When they emerged and turned about, they saw a world of chaos. Elements filled the air like a sudden storm. Wolf Squad led the way, Argus showing no desire to conserve his element. Thin shards of ice splashed out in tremendous waves, dozens of the projectiles intercepting the paths of his targets. Knights scattered in all directions, some in chase, most in retreat from Weshern’s superior barrage. The tide of elements had been too much for the knights to challenge, but Bree knew the momentum would soon shift. Superior numbers gave the Weshern forces tremendous advantage on the initial head-to-head assault. Once the pockets of battle spread out and the enemy could engage in closer combat, the knights’ skill would quickly equalize the situation.

  Kael’s speed lessened, his wings losing a bit of their brilliant sheen. Bree caught up with her brother, and he leaned in close.

  “Your turn,” he shouted.

  Bree grinned.

  “If you insist.”

  He fell a few feet behind her and to the side as she raced back into the battle. None of the knights had given chase, unable to amid the explosive arrival of Weshern’s Seraphim. Bree looked for the nearest enemy. Two knights kept to the outer edge of the battle, providing support for the others nearby. Bree saw them strike down a Seraph chasing after an injured knight, twin blasts of lightning ripping through his chest. Target decided, Bree sent her wings to thrumming. She’d hoped to surprise them, but to her horror she realized she’d been baited. The two spun immediately, gauntlets up to fire as she barreled headfirst toward them. Golden light gathered from their focal points, the prelude to a staggering amount of electricity.

  Shit, Bree thought, unsure of where to dodge. That hesitation should have cost her her life, but once agai
n she’d underestimated her brother. Kael burst ahead with such tremendous acceleration she could hardly believe his body able to withstand it. He rolled left to right, cutting across her path with shield at the ready. Lightning blasted from the knights’ gauntlets, the raw power beyond anything Bree had witnessed. Instead of thin and sharp, the bolts that pierced the air were the size of tree trunks. Even that power meant nothing to Kael’s shield, the lightning swirling into its silver light and vanishing in a crackling flash of smoke.

  Kael dropped back, once more giving Bree the lead. The distance closed, the knights foolishly remained in a steady hover to improve their aim. Bree could not have had an easier target. She flew between them, sword out to either side. One died instantly, the burning edge cutting across his throat. The other lost an arm, but a quick shot of ice from Kael ended his suffering.

  Bree curled toward the outside upper edge of combat, wishing to gain some space so they might dive in again in ambush. She spared a glance to the distant battles, the skies alight with fire and lightning. Center had more combined knights than the minor islands had Seraphim, but the reinforcements were hitting all sides, and the knights could not pull back lest they leave the ground troops helpless against the destruction that would rain down on them from the sky. It was a tenuous situation, and a single bad exchange for one of the minor islands could tip the scales hard against them, but so far they all held strong.

  Kael flew beside her as they reached the top of the loose spherical area that had become the battlefield.

  Ready? he signaled.

  Ready.

  They dove together, Kael leading, she following in his silver light. Her brother led her straight into the thick of it, showing him equal to her bravery. Lightning scarred the air, stone and ice falling wildly about them, but they never slowed or panicked. Bree watched for vulnerabilities, unwilling to engage any knight directly. The others would dance the careful dance. Bree and Kael would be the brutal finishers.