I bought supplies in the next town by myself. In an hour my horse’s saddlebags were laden with enough food to last weeks, if we were careful about it. But the townspeople’s eyes lingered on me too long, narrowed too far. It could have only been my fine clothes, almost alien so far from any major city, but I doubted that. Word of Winterwood Hall must have already reached them, perhaps by messenger. And the only reason that they did not arrest me was that they had no bonded—and so they likely waited for someone who did.

Still early in the morning, I rode out of the town and took the main road, thinking it would be the fastest. A dark blur caught my eye. On the horizon, crossing a dry wheat field, was a massive horde of riders in green and gold. The colours of House Ilyin.

I rode hard for our camp. Irina approached as she saw me.

“About time. Tell me—did you ask about the location of the nearest messenger?”

“Load up your horse! Ilyin forces are heading our way.”

“How long?” asked Andiya.

“Does it matter?” scoffed Irina. “We have a High Order. If they wish to kill us, they shall find themselves wholly unprepared to do so.”

“You want Andiya to kill them?”

“I do. I have taken the night to think on it, and I’ve decided that it is best not to leave an enemy alive when they would not do the same for us. You have my leave to dispose of them without fear of persecution, dear Kain.”

I couldn’t speak. Andiya could kill them all, I knew she could. But I couldn’t give her that order. I couldn’t murder all those people, no matter by whose decree. I opened my mouth to refuse.

“Your Majesty,” said Andiya. “Master Kain has shown me her memory of the Ilyin soldiers. The Ilyin host contains several daemons know to me as rakharii. Subjugators, you call them. Those with the ability to subdue and other daemons. No lesser or higher being can escape their chains, regardless of strength.” She scowled appropriately. “I’m afraid if we face them, I alone will not be enough.”

Andiya was lying. I’d shown her nothing, and I hadn’t been close enough to see any Subjugators. And even if I had, they could never withstand Andiya.

Irina grit her teeth. “Very well. Load the horse, Andiya.”

We plunged into a tall wheat field. On the other side, we trotted through a ravine, then through a sparse wood, then found ourselves facing the rocky hills and crags that made up the land from the woods to Etvia.

“Nowhere to hide,” I said.

Irina scanned the hills. “So our decision becomes to trap ourselves at the Etvian border, or attempt to find shelter at Mount Anfang. I shouldn’t need to tell you which I’d prefer.”

Both were a risk, but the insular Etvia was a fool’s bargain. Their high-walled borders were sealed tight to the Canavar. The Drahko Archon tolerated the Canavar at best, openly reviled them at worst. We would exchange the enemies pursuing us for ones on all sides.

On the other hand, the Shrikes were still loyal to the crown. There was a small chance that they would turn us over to the Ilyins, but a much larger one that they would shelter a royal in exchange for the Korongorod’s favour. They had no reason to risk their position and power on a rebellion.

“To Mount Anfang,” I agreed, and we set off. I checked behind us. A long way off, a tiny black spot circled in the blue sky. I would bet anything that it was Sarangerel, watching us change course. I picked up our pace.

We made good time on the hills. They were dark stone covered in short verdant grasses, stretched from the coast to the inner sea. The hill clans occupied a section far to the east of here, where we were unlikely to encounter them. We’d encounter precious few people this close to Etvia, save for maybe exiles or brigands.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” grumbled Andiya. She sat behind me on the saddle, her thighs pressed against the back of mine. I kept my mind locked tight.

“Why did you lie? I’d have thought you’d enjoy killing Damian.”

“I enjoy a good fight, that’s true, but you were practically screaming my head off when Irina gave you that order. I thought I’d help you.”

“I expected you to call me foolish instead, for the risk.”

“Thank you, Andiya,” she teased.

My mouth twitched in a small smile. “Fine. Thank you, Andiya, for not massacring Damian’s forces.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear.”

She leaned her chin on my shoulder, chest to my back. Andiya sighed contentedly. And I kept riding without a single complaint.

“You have an oddly pacifistic outlook, you know, for a soldier,” said Andiya.

“I agreed to join the Canavar to capture daemons, not kill people.”

“Right. Because we are not people.”

“I … did not believe you were.”

“And now?”

“Now, I don’t know what to think. You are a person, and you are alive, and you are as real as anyone else I’ve ever met. I have no more doubt about that. But … not all daemons I’ve met have been like you.”

“So I’ve been told. It certainly helps keep the ego inflated. But you’re dodging the question. Surely, considering your line of work, you must have been forced to kill another person? I say this with my limited knowledge of the human lands, but thus far they’ve been quite dog-eat-dog.”

“It’s not like this everywhere. Most people never see a real fight a day in their lives. But … yes, I’ve killed before. Three times. Desperate people do desperate things. I’ve come across plenty of brigands in my years travelling the coalition with the Canavar. Sometimes all it takes is the flash of a sword to chase them off. Sometimes, they have nothing left to lose but their lives.”

“And do you regret killing them?”

“Every day. I know I had no choice—but that doesn’t seem to matter what I’m trying to sleep.”

“Three times? Is that all?”

My heart squeezed painfully as her question brought my memories forward. Fire. Blood. Kamala’s furious, devastated eyes. Seylas. A death toll that could not be counted, and no matter how much good I tried to put into the world, could never be erased.

“That’s all.”

And she didn’t ask anything more.

After another few miles, Irina said, “I see them.”

I did too. Still a blur on the horizon, but a bigger one. The Ilyins were gaining on us. That black dot continued to circle above. We’d never throw them off our trail, so long as they had Sarangerel. She could scout faster routes, see obstacles. We’d always be just a bit slower.

“I could roast the little bird, if you like.”

“That would kill Damian, too.”

“And I assume our morals are against this?”

“Yep.”

“Good. From your memories, I like this Damian. I would regret killing him, I think.”

“Because you think he’s handsome.”

Andiya’s laugh carried over the hills—surprised, bright. I failed to stop my slight smile in reply.

“I do hate spoiling pretty things. I might enjoy playing with this Damian, instead.”

“Somehow I doubt he’d let you.”

“And why ever not? I’ve yet to meet anyone who has not wanted me to.”

“Present company excluded.”

Andiya’s chest pressed closer, warm on my back. “I thought we were done with the lies, Rozin,” she said into my ear.

Creators save me.

*

By the next morning, the Ilyin host had crept closer. We couldn’t go any faster than we were. Far in the distance, Mount Anfang rose like an odd thorn from the horizon. Salvation, still so far away. If it were even salvation at all.

“You’ve said little about your Yulia as of late,” sent Andiya as we rode. “Makes me wonder if you’ve given up on her.”

“Rafiq said she sent him. He said she’s safe. I need to trust that.”

“And you don’t want to confirm this yourself?”

“Of course I do. But let’s think of a way I can do that. I could plough through the Ilyin forces, killing them all, then retrace our steps all the way to the camp and have you track her again. Oh, and I’d need to abandon the princess—meaning when I did find Yulia, we’d be killed for treason.”

“You could send me.”

“The Ilyins almost killed me the last time I did that. They’ll succeed the next time.” I glanced back at the green and gold riders. “Yulia is a better soldier than I ever was, and she has Artem. I have to believe she can take care of herself. I can’t do anything for her right now except hope.”

“Still. I’m dying to know what became of our party. Something about our situation doesn’t feel right.”

“Being hunted down gave you that clue, did it?”

“Funny. I know brains aren’t your specialty, but think for a moment. Too many movements are happening at once. The supposed death of the princess, attacks from a rogue clan, a clandestine rebellion. I don’t believe so many troubles arise on their own so quickly together. It feels like someone is pulling the strings.”

“Any idea who?”

“Someone who is no friend to the Canavar.”

I sighed. “So most of the world.”

“Perhaps your princess should have spent more time making friends on Itrera, and not in the daemon lands.”

“Our princess. And you seem very entertained by all this.”

“I am. I’ve always loved a good mystery. And should I not be interested in the well-being of our princess, as you are so quick to remind me? I seem to recall you telling me to accept my new position.”

We stopped at a small creek to let the horses drink. The Ilyin soldiers were too close for comfort. We couldn’t stop tonight. I was afraid they’d grab us in the dark.

“We should send Andiya to them as they sleep,” said Irina. “She can burn the Subjugators before they have a chance to chain her.”

“I am not suited for stealth, Your Majesty,” Andiya said quickly. “The risk is great.”

“These are beginning to feel like excuses.”

“We only give you our council,” I said, “Irina.”

“I did not ask for council, Kain. Perhaps you are forgetting what you are. I am your regent, and you are my Eon. You were not selected for your strategic abilities, but for your utility. I expect you to do your duty.”

I lowered my gaze. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Kneel.”

I did as I was told. Irina stared down at me imperiously, no hint of mercy in those ice-chip eyes. She’d been raised to rule. And she would do it, no matter who got in her way.

“I like you, Kain. See that this does not change.”

*

Mount Anfang grew with every hour. The buildings of Ryalgrad clung to the side of the mountain, the rest spread out around it in a city of unfathomable size. Except it was not the colossal Ryalgrad that held my gaze, but Anfang itself. I’d never seen a mountain shaped like that. If it wasn’t before my very eyes, I’d say it was impossible: the mountain’s peak was somehow inverted, curling around like a hook. Or, I realised, like the talon of the butcherbird—otherwise known as the shrike.

“Legends say that Wind bowed the mountain with a mighty blow,” said Irina when she caught my staring. “There should be no way for the mountain to exist, and yet it does. My father once visited Ryalgrad in his childhood. He told me it was the first time in his young life that he believed the Creators were truly real.”

“Do you believe?” Andiya asked.

Irina raised a brow at the question. “Certainly. I rule by divine right. I would be a fool not to thank those who gave it to me.”

We pushed forward at as fast a pace as we dared, but after a hard night of riding our horses were faltering. All of us were deprived of much-needed rest. Oddly, the Ilyin host had stopped gaining on us, as though they held back. But why? Once we reached Ryalgrad, we might be lost to them forever. Damian thought Irina was a Shrike. Why was he willing to let her make her way home?

Andiya clicked her tongue, jaw on my shoulder. “Do you think his sensor told him I’m a High Order?”

“Definitely. That explosion you made was too strong for a regular Fire Elemental.”

“So he knows we’re dangerous. He may be waiting for some opportunity.”

Exactly what I’d been thinking. Damian seemed too shrewd to let us slip by so easily. He wouldn’t charge a High Order without knowing he’d win. And what if he’d heard the rumours Irina had worked so hard to spread during our time on the Korongorod? That the Canavar had a High Order. He would know who I really served.

“Your Majesty—Irina—why does Damian believe you’re a Shrike? How did you lie to a sensor?”

Irina smirked at me proudly. “I am the heir to the Canavar throne. I was trained in my childhood to resist sensors, as our spies are. All archons are trained this way, so we do not divulge any of our secrets. Damian believed every word out of my mouth, because his sensor believed them as well.”

“Could I learn this ability?”

“If we had many months to spare, yes. But you couldn’t fool Damian’s sensor tomorrow, nor the day after. I will do the talking, Kain, should that be necessary.”

As we forded onwards, the terrain began to soften. Before long, we trudged through muck, dried grass, and dead weeds, stopping more and more often for breath. A great stink clogged the air. Between the hills were pools of tepid water and diseased lily pads.

“I thought it was just hills until Anfang,” I said.

Irina frowned at her map. “So did I.”

A small grey line dotted a patch of hills between the farmlands and Mount Anfang. Turning the map over, we read the seasonal notes written along the bottom.

“Spring and early summer,” read Irina. “Fallow hill lands become a toxic mire. Travellers be aware that breathable air may be in short supply if the ground is agitated.”

I looked off in the distance. We were one swift day’s ride to Ryalgrad, three or more at this pace.

“Damian chased us into this,” said Andiya. “Though I’m not certain why. He could have caught up a long time ago. We didn’t need to be slowed.”

I frowned at the deep muck. Damian had a plan, and I didn’t want to wait around for it.

“Do you remember when I captured you?”

“Vividly,” grumbled Andiya.

“You dried the mountaintop. Could you dry the mire?”

“Embarrassing confession: I almost drained myself completely with that show. Call it stupidity in anger. By the time I realised how little magic I had left, you bonded me. It might be why it was possible for you to capture me in the first place.”

I looked at her in shock. That was a dangerous piece of information for me to have.

“Am I wrong for trusting you with it?”

“I … don’t know.”

“I don’t think I am.”

We kept moving. Irina was right there. I should tell her. The Canavar could capture more High Orders. We could make ourselves so powerful no daemon or archon would dare challenge us in a war. We could protect our people.

On the backs of slaves.

There was no other word for it. We would take slaves to keep our people safe, and I could give my princess the shackles.

But I wouldn’t.

I let Andiya see my decision. Her lip twitched in a smirk.

By midday, the sky had gone deep grey. We could no longer ride at all, the muck was so deep. We pulled the horses behind us, our pace terrifyingly slow. The sun faded. The air stilled, waiting for the black clouds that crawled across the horizon. It was the sort of storm that would wash us away, fill the mire with waves of swallowing water. Not a place where you’d find a being of fire. I paused, glancing at Andiya.

“What is it?” Andiya asked.

“Damian is going to catch us.”

She gazed over at the storm. Cold air caught her hair, waving scarlet before a wall of grey and distant lightning. A lick of dying flame against an oncoming storm. “And the princess will have me kill them.”

I felt the idea form like a spark catching oil. “Not if your magic doesn’t work.”