Of course, maybe it was ridiculous to think he would ever take up any space in her brain. It was just an alliance marriage. She didn’t need to have any feelings for him. It might even be preferable that way.
“I don’t need an answer right away. Perhaps you could discuss it with your advisers and—”
August’s words were cut off by a scream from outside.
Em jumped to her feet, panic seizing her chest.
She darted to the corner and grabbed her sword. Olivia was already out the door, and Em ran out behind her, August tailing them.
Aren shot out from the darkness and skidded to a stop in front of them. “Lera soldiers,” he gasped out. “At least a hundred. They’re attacking now.”
Behind Aren, Em could see horses and flaming torches coming over the hill. A streak of fire soared through the night and a tent burst into flames. Ruined ran out of their cabins, hastily throwing on jackets and shoes. The warriors were gathered around the flaming tent, trying to put out the fire.
“I knew it!” Olivia screamed. She took off, leaving Em in her dust. She threw a glance over her shoulder. “Aren! Ruined! With me!”
Aren ran after her. Ruined followed them, flames illuminating their faces as they sprinted toward the approaching army. Jacobo stopped and turned to face the fire. He reached his hand out and the flames snaked through the grass, past Em, and to the Lera soldiers. Two men went up in flames.
Em pressed a shaky hand to her mouth. Why were Lera soldiers attacking? Was Cas with them? Was he angry enough about his mother’s death to turn against her?
She didn’t have time to worry about it.
She turned to August. “Are you hiding, or are you helping?”
“Helping,” he said immediately.
She pointed to the warriors behind him. “Tell them to get behind the Ruined. Every one of them needs to be wearing their red jackets if they don’t want to accidentally lose their heads. Including you.”
He nodded and turned to shout orders to the warriors. He faced her again and opened his mouth, but his eyes widened as he caught sight of something behind her. He grabbed Em around the waist and pulled her out of the way just in time for a flaming arrow to soar past her head. It landed on the cabin’s porch. Em sucked in a breath and threw August a grateful look.
She extracted herself from his grasp and stomped out the arrow. “Come on,” she said, grabbing his arm and running to the warriors.
In seconds, the warriors were in red and had their weapons drawn. A wall of Ruined stood at the top of the hill, Olivia and Aren at the center. Ivanna stood next to them, her hair blowing in the powerful wind she had created to fan the flames.
Several soldiers raced up the hill, shooting past the Ruined. Jacobo whirled around, fury burned across his features. He pointed at the flames and they slowly moved across the grass before sputtering out. His knees buckled beneath him.
Em raced to the soldiers, yelling for the warriors to follow her. Screams echoed through the night, and she suspected they weren’t those of the Ruined. She knew the screams of a man getting his body twisted by Olivia.
At least ten men charged toward them, the pins on their chest glinting. Em gripped her sword a little tighter. Hunters. She’d killed plenty of them.
Iria and the other warriors pushed themselves in front of Em and August. Metal clinked as swords met. A warrior screamed as a hunter drove his sword into her gut.
Em didn’t see Cas.
She shouldn’t have been looking for Cas. She had more important things to consider at the moment. Like not dying.
A soldier pushed past Iria and lunged at Em, using both hands to draw his sword back as he prepared to strike. She raised her boot and kicked him firmly in the stomach. He grunted and stumbled backward. Iria caught his shoulder and thrust her blade into his back.
Beside her, August grunted as he ducked a swinging sword. Em put a hand on his back, keeping him down as she jammed her sword into the soldier’s stomach.
“Thank you,” August said breathlessly as he straightened.
Em whirled around, blade raised, but there was nothing but red around her. Everyone in blue was dead in the dirt. A warrior extracted his sword from a Lera soldier, scrunching his face at the blood smeared across the blade.
Em turned to the hill, to where about twenty Ruined still stood side by side. There were no more soldiers getting through.
A few of the Ruined slumped to the ground, breathing heavily from their magic use. Jacobo was flat on his back, arms spread wide, a crazed smile on his face.
“Send more next time!” he yelled. “That was too easy!”
Relief washed over Em. They hadn’t lost any Ruined, as far as she could tell. She strode forward, to where Aren and Olivia stood shoulder to shoulder, focused on the scene in front of them. She reached the top of the hill and followed their gaze. August stopped beside her.
The bodies of Lera soldiers littered the bottom of the hill. No, parts of soldiers. Pieces of them were strewn everywhere. Torches were discarded on the ground, burning through the grass. Abandoned swords glinted in the flames. Bile rose in her throat as she scanned the mess for Cas. There was no way to tell.
The remaining soldiers were running away, sprinting as fast as they could to the sparse trees. Olivia directed her magic at one. His head separated from his body.
August turned away. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath.
Em looked back at Olivia and Aren. “I need one—” Her voice came out too quiet, and she cleared her throat. “Olivia, Aren, I need one alive. I have questions.”
“That one,” Aren said, pointing to a man almost to the trees. Olivia nodded and the man came to a sudden stop. He flailed his arms, but his feet remained rooted to the ground.
“Thank you,” Em said. She started down the hill.
“I’m coming too,” Olivia said.
“Ir-Iria, go with them.” August had to choke out the words, like he was about to vomit. Em turned to find he still had his back to them. Iria sheathed her sword as she walked to Em, raising her eyebrows as if asking Em if it was all right. Em nodded.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come, Your Highness?” Olivia asked sweetly. No one had ever said “Your Highness” with such contempt.
August took a step away from them without turning back. “I’m going to go check on my warriors.”
Olivia snickered and strode past Em. She laughed as she bounced over a severed arm.
Iria let out a long breath as she fell into step beside Em. “Is Aren all right?”
Em glanced back at Aren, surprised by the question. His face was blank and his eyes didn’t seem to be focusing. He didn’t look weak, like using his magic had been a big effort. In fact, he didn’t look like anything. It was as if everything about Aren had been sucked away and there was nothing left but an empty shell.
“Em!” Olivia called. She was already standing by the Lera soldier, waving for Em to hurry.
Aren blinked at Em.