Finn crouched behind a gnarled tree and peered from his hilltop perch, gazing in the direction of the shore. He watched as the cloud of dust finally revealed the shapes of men and animals. As expected, the column was traveling in the direction of Cape Cush, a promontory jutting out from the coast, with smooth rock vanishing into the sea below.

He lifted his gaze and saw Widow’s Peak, one of the largest of the Lost Souls, and the closest to shore. He then looked back at the collection of soldiers and slaves traveling from Malakai. They’d finally arrived. He needed to hurry back to let the others know.

He turned, preparing to leave his concealment, when he suddenly heard a piercing shriek, immediately followed by the sound of flapping wings.

He ducked as a charcoal-colored dragon flew overhead. Tilting his head back, he saw the huge flying creature’s underbelly and the sun shining through the thin wings, revealing bones and pulsing veins. The strong hind legs were tucked up under its body and its tapered head darted about as it sped past.

Finn saw the armored rider, reins of copper in his hands, sweep his eyes over the terrain before he performed a tight turn. He climbed the sky and hovered while his mount’s powerful wings swept up and down with slow, leisurely movements.

The rider continued to scan the area, and Finn held his breath. He leaned into the scant protection of the desiccated tree, wishing it had some leaves. He hunched his head into his shoulders. He realized he had his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

The dragon shrieked again. Finn heard a snap as its wings caught the air. He counted the seconds, huddled to the trunk, waiting for a thump as the dragon’s legs struck the ground.

Another animal cry sounded, but this time it was further away. Opening his eyes, Finn risked looking up. The twin arcs of dragon wings were becoming distant; it was climbing the sky and heading back toward the cape. He now saw several other winged silhouettes circling over the column like birds of prey eyeing a carcass. The riders all wore Aleuthean chain mail, glinting in the sun, and carried long, sharp spears.

Judging his moment carefully, he waited until the group had begun to settle in at the cape before breaking cover and running back to the hidden cove.

Finn found the others near the shore, resting in the shade of a rocky overhang. Chloe sat cross-legged on the sand, her eyes closed, breathing slowly in and out. Nearby, the slender eldran, Liana, still appeared harrowed, with shadows under her eyes and sallow skin, but she now looked better than she had in days.

‘What are you doing?’ Finn asked Chloe.

She opened her eyes. ‘Meditating. You’ve seen them?’

‘They’re here,’ he said.