I wish you were here with us, Sena, Laira thought, the pain still fresh inside her, a raw wound in her breast she did not think would ever heal. You could have flown with us now. She lowered her head. I let you down. We all did. You were strong in your own way, not ours. We failed to see it. I failed. I'm sorry.

She took a shaky breath and whispered prayers for his soul—a prayer to Ka'altei of the Goldtusk tribe, to Taal the Father God of Eteer, and to the stars of Requiem. She did not know if any of these deities heard her prayers. She did not know if they'd bless her brother who had sinned, who had taken his own life. But it seemed to Laira that as she prayed, she saw those stars above, just a brief glimmer, even in the daylight, and that soothed her. Perhaps Sena was up there now, looking down upon her.

A grunt sounded to her left. She turned to see Jeid leave the other dragons and fly toward the rocs. Largest among the dragons, he flew with a clatter of scales, and smoke streamed from his nostrils and mouth. With his wide wings and bulky frame, he was as large as Neiva, Laira's roc. He glided at her side, the wind fluttering his wings with little thuds.

"How sure are you this will work?" he said, staring at her with one eye. "How well do you know this Chieftain Oritan?"

Riding upon her roc, Laira had to cry out to be heard over the wind. "Better than I knew you when I flew to you for aid!" She gave him a wink and a mirthless smile. "Oritan has been craving an alliance with Goldtusk for years. He practically shoved his daughter at Zerra, demanding a marriage, a joining of the clans. Zerra always refused, but now this is my tribe." She inhaled deeply. "We will forge an alliance. We will fight my father together."

Jeid grumbled something under his breath, and Laira saw the doubt in his eyes.

But I haven't told you all, Jeid, she thought, eyes stinging. For if you knew, you would try to stop me. But I will do this deed. For Requiem. For our column of marble and our stars above. And for you, Jeid. Her eyes stung. For the man I love more than life.