“Is it still the same contingency plan?” Aston asks him.
“Essentially. We have a system of tunnels where anyone loyal can flee, and the guardians on reserve will make sure anyone who needs them can find them. Everyone will be safe underground, so long as they stay out of the wind until they’re strong enough to rise up again.”
“That . . . could be a very long time,” I mumble.
The reality of what we’re facing hits me then—like really hits me.
This isn’t just about risking our lives, or settling our score with Raiden.
It’s about our whole world crumbling.
“Fear is your greatest enemy in battle,” Aston says. “Don’t surrender to it. Take it one fight at a time, one enemy at a time, and hope you’re still standing when the storm settles.”
That’s definitely not as comforting as he seems to think it is.
“Besides,” Aston adds. “You’ll have the strongest defense during the fight.”
“You really think the power of four is that strong?”
“I was talking about me. I’ll be providing your cover so you can get to Raiden. And trust me, I am very motivated to make sure you get there.”
Something about his tone—or maybe it’s the intensity in his eyes—makes me feel a little choked up when I tell him, “Thanks.”
It also makes me hand over my wind spike.
“In case you need it,” I mumble.
“It’s worthless against Raiden unless you break the Northerly inside it,” Os warns.
“Perhaps,” Aston whispers, tracing his fingers along the blue edges. “But I hate to disturb such purity.”
I weave myself a new wind spike and scan the field. It doesn’t have much to it. Mostly rolling hills and a few scattered trees. “Where do you think I should look for Raiden?”
Aston points to a weird pointed rock in the distance—or maybe it’s a mountain. It’s hard to tell. It kinda looks like a hill that’s giving the sky the finger.
“Raiden always watches from a distance,” he tells me. “He’ll only swoop closer if the flanks are failing—or to celebrate his victory. So my guess is, he’ll be somewhere over there. It’s the highest point in the area, and it’s a difficult approach from the ground. I can also feel groundlings not far from there, and I’m sure he knows we’ll try to spare them.”
“Wait—there are humans nearby?” I ask, craning my neck and seeing nothing but empty plains. “Why?”
“I think that rock is famous,” Solana tells me. “I know I’ve seen pictures of it before.”
Great. So we’re back to putting people’s lives in danger—and it’s too late to change location.
“Shouldn’t we claim the high ground for ourselves, then?” Os asks. “Minimize the risk of casualties?”
“Not if we want to win. Raiden’s overconfidence will be our greatest asset. The more he thinks everything’s going his way, the more likely he is to make a mistake. Let him have what he wants. Let him think he has all the advantages. By the time he realizes there are other forces at play, it will hopefully be too late.”
I hate gambling with people’s lives that way. But . . . I know Aston’s right. “So what’s the smartest way to approach?” I ask, vowing to fight ten times harder to keep people safe.
“We’ll have to see how the battle plays out,” Aston says. “And you’ll have to keep an ear to your winds, asking them for help getting around his backlash—and don’t try for the kill until they give you an answer. Assuming there is an answer.”
“There has to be one,” I mumble. “Otherwise why have any Stormers at all? Why go after the power of four if he’s invincible?”
“I used to tell myself the same thing, when I was plotting my escape. Never did get the answer. But don’t look so glum, Loverboy. Your winds haven’t failed you yet.”
Yeah, I guess not. “But what if—”
The rest of my question is swallowed by the wave of heavy, gray clouds that pours in from the north, blacking out the sun.
In the same breath the sky goes eerily still.
Lightning flashes across the sky as hundreds of Stormers emerge from the thunderheads.
With a loud, ground-shaking rumble, the battle begins.
CHAPTER 42
AUDRA
Stay close to Vane.
It’s my only plan for this battle.
No matter what happens, I won’t be separated from him again.
Not because he said he loved me—though I’d be lying if I said that didn’t help.
Because this is how it was meant to be.
I’ve been his guardian.
His girlfriend.
And now I’m not sure what I am.
But I need him.
And I’m the only other person here who speaks Westerly.
Stormers pour into the field like gray rain, gathering in the center with their backs to one another. A beast with too many heads and no heart to guide it.
I don’t understand why they hold their attack, but I decide to be grateful for the extra time.
I find Vane crouched in the long grass, his eyes trained on the strange rock formation in the distance.