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He found the two Valg princes s back at him from across the river One ran a hand over the black collar at his throat A promise and reminder of precisely what they’d do to hi invitation They could certainly try

The Fae royals’ power broke at last, heralded by the ice that for the princes and their soldiers didn’t so noring the banging fists beneath their feet

Aedion guided his horse behind the front line, to where Kyllian and Elgan were one into the river at e

Barely a dent in the force now advancing

Aedion didn’t have words for his commanders, who had known him for most of his life, perhaps better than anyone They had no words for him, either

When Morath reached their shore at last, swords bright in the gray day, Aedion let out a roar and charged

The ilken had learned that a shape-shifter was ast them, and wore a wyvern’s skin Lysandra realized it after she’d swept for the from the army’s ranks to sla, hiding in the horde below An a off their heads with her spiked tail, before their poisoned claws had forced her to flee So she’d drawn the ilken back toward her own lines, right into the range of Ren’s archers

They’d gotten the ilken down--barely Shots to the wings that allowed Lysandra to rip their heads froround, shifting as she went She landed as a ghost leopard, and unleashed herself upon the foot soldiers already pushing against Terrasen’s joined shields

The skilled unity of the Bane was nothing against the sheer nu them back The Fae warriors, the Silent Assassins--Ansel and Galan’s few re soldiers spread between them--neither of those lethal units could halt them, either

So she clawed and tore and sundered, black bile burning her throat Snow turned toscreaht flank!"

She dared a glance toward it The ilken had concentrated their forces there, sla into the men in a phalanx of death and poison

Then another order from the prince, "Hold fast on the left!"

He’d repositioned the Bane a on the southern plains, yet it was not enough

Ilken tore into the cavalry, horses shrieking as poisoned talons ripped out their innards, riders crushed beneath falling bodies

Aedion galloped toward the left flank, soh soldier after soldier, arrows flying from both ar the Bane back as if they were littletheir path

Her breath burned in her lungs, her legs ached, yet she kept fighting

There would be nothing left of them by sundown if they kept at it like this

The other men seeht to the tens of thousands still behind in orderly roaiting to kill and kill and kill

So the front lines

Soht hurled away their shields and sprinted out of the path of Morath

Morath seized on it A wave crashing to shore, they slaht into the center, which had never broken, even when the others had wobbled

They punched a hole right through it

Chaos reigned

Aedion roared from somewhere, fronored

The Bane tried and failed to hold the line Ansel of Briarcliff bellowed to her fleeingher commands to his own soldiers Ren shouted to his archers to remain, but they too abandoned their posts

Lysandra slashed through the shins of one Morath soldier, then ripped the throat from another None of Terrasen’s warriors remained a step behind her to decapitate the fallen bodies

No one at all

Over It was over

Useless, Aedion had called her

Lysandra gazed toward the ilken feasting on the right flank and knehat she had to do

CHAPTER 47

Aedion had iether until the end Not picked off one by one as they fled

He’d been forced far behind the lines when Morath plunged through, even the Bane having to peel away from the front Soon, the rout would be complete

Arrows still flew fro seized some order, if only to cover their retreat

Not an orderlypast one another

A disgraceful end, unworthy of a dom

He’d stand--he’d stay here until they cut hied past hi princes s sure to come