But there was one thing he knew above all. It was that if Isobel’s death was anyone’s fault, it was Palemon’s.

And if he wanted revenge, he would need to be patient.

Palemon clutched the reins in his left hand, feeling the dragon beneath him utterly under his control. This steed wasn’t as powerful as his last, but it was still the biggest of the group, a charcoal-colored dragon with wings that stretched out for dozens of feet at both sides – the young woman from the market was bent to his will. With every mental command, the living weapon underneath him responded instantly.

High in the sky, wearing armor of steel links, Palemon flew at the apex of a wedge of six riders. Glancing over his shoulder, he checked on the other five dragons, all mounted by sorcerers, nodding when he saw that every one of them held his or her fire staff, ready to unleash their power. He pointed with his sword and veered, and the rest of the formation followed suit. Just behind him, Zara sat upon a smaller jet-black dragon, flying close enough for Palemon to see the flash of her white teeth as she smiled.

It was deepest night and difficult to read the terrain, but he could make out the strip of black water that could only be the Shadrian Passage. The group of six was approaching Verai, the city’s lights glittering like a jewel.

Palemon ordered his dragon to descend, and those behind him followed suit. Swooping over the Shadrian Passage, he led his magi toward the city by following the coast, slightly out to sea to avoid detection. Half a mile below, fishing boats and rocky coves vanished behind them; the group of dragons was traveling at speed. The number of vessels increased as they flew over storehouses, and then finally Palemon saw the wide curve of Verai’s harbor, a stretch of sandy shore a mile or two ahead, enclosed at both ends by fingers of stone.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the landing barges were still there, although they appeared to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. The wide, slow-moving, flat-bottomed vessels would only be able to make the crossing to Ilea on a day with perfectly still weather.

He raised his sword and cried out.

The vessels were drawn up on the shore, side by side, becoming larger as the dragons descended. There were dozens of barges, and Palemon needed to destroy all of them. Distant cries of terrified men filled the air as people on the shore stared up at the sky.

The wedge of dragons now broke formation as every rider selected a target. Crimson fire lit up at the ends of the sorcerers’ staffs. Each dragon circled over its chosen vessel and then swooped.

Balls of flame began to rain down on the barges.