“You have your assignments. Follow your commanders. Don’t break ranks. Reinforcements will be here as early as tomorrow and troops within the week. Don’t do anything reckless. You are our greatest assets.” Trulian rose his arm into the air. “For the Society!”

Everyone raised their fist. Kerrigan joined them, feeling her blood pump as the adrenaline of the upcoming fight took over. And they shouted as one, “For the Society.”

Alura whipped around as soon as the speech was over. “You lot are with me. We’re to block off their escape routes. In the Great War, they would attack and then retreat back to the mountain when things got bad. We want to make sure that they can’t get back or forward.”

Fordham frowned. “They’re not going to retreat. This isn’t the Great War.”

Alura stomped forward, getting right in his face. “What did you say, soldier? We have one job, and we are going to do it. If you have a problem, take that up with Master Trulian. Otherwise, you do whatever I tell you without any more back talk.”

For a moment, Kerrigan thought he might not back down. He, of course, knew House of Shadows tactics better than anyone. But finally, he nodded and stepped into line.

“Good. Now, call your dragons, and let’s fly,” she snapped as Gemina appeared on the horizon.

Kerrigan gulped. This was the first time she and Tieran would use the bond since getting it into place. They’d tried it out some on the way here, but it was different. This was real battle. She gently tugged on the bond. To her relief, she felt it go all the way across the meadow to the space the dragons had carved for themselves. And Tieran answered in turn. She felt it straight to her tied-off crux bond on her wrist.

She wanted to cry. It was such an emotional moment that she could share with no one else. She hadn’t even told Fordham that she’d figured out a way for it to work. There had been no time with everything going on. But he must have realized something was different because he tilted his head at Tieran heading their direction, even before Netta got the call.

“I fixed it,” she whispered to him.

He looked like he wanted to ask so many questions, but now was hardly the time. Not unless she wanted Alura to know, and gods, did she not want Alura to know this little fact.

She was so grateful for Cleora. She never would have had time to drop into the spirit plane to call him when she was actually here. It had to be instantaneous, and it was.