He sighed, but he could deny her nothing. It was how they had fallen in love in the first place. Trulian headed toward the dragons to find his beloved Androma.

Then, Mei went in search of her Zahina, tramping through the dirty war camp. She was in mud up to her ankles and wanted nothing more than to rid herself of this place. Nothing had gone as planned. No one would listen. Ten long years, they’d been at war with no end in sight until tonight. Tonight, the war could end.

It would end with the genocide of her people.

She brushed a hand back through her hair. She wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for her daughter. She had joined up like the rest of the youth who thought they could make a difference and had no idea of what war was actually like. So self-righteous and certain that they were going to change the world.

Fae should have been slow to go to war and quick to retreat. Their long lives afforded them space to see reason. But no one would see reason.

The tent flap shoved open before Mei could do so. Her daughter stepped out. They were nearly the same height with the same black hair and dark brown eyes. She had none of her father in her. Only twenty turns of the sun and dragon bound. How had she failed her so completely?

“What do you want, Mother?” her daughter sneered.

“You know why I’m here.”

“I won’t go with you. You’re a coward.”

Mei winced. The words hit hard despite the youth in them. She didn’t know what Mei had sacrificed for her.

“You have no idea what you speak of.”

“I know that I’m here to help us win this war against those barbarians. What are you doing, Mother?”

Mei clenched her hands into fists. She wouldn’t rise to the insult. Zahina would never admit to having a mother from tribe Charbonnet. “Please, come with me.”

“Where? Where are you running off to? How dare you run away from your obligation to the Society.”

“I have no obligation to the Society,” she snarled. “The Society only cares for itself.”

Her daughter took a step backward. “You include me in that assessment.”

“Yes,” she bit out.

“Then, we’re done. Trulian will never leave either. How does he not see you for what you are?”

“Your father has nothing to do with this.”

Her daughter narrowed her eyes. “He is not my father.”

“We don’t have to go through this again.”

“I have no parents.”

“Please,” Mei whispered, broken.

She knew what she had to do. She had to go to Cavour. She had to put up the wall that would end this war. She didn’t know what would happen when she did it, if it was even possible. But she knew what would happen if she didn’t try.