Cass looked up to Mars, who was regarding Mac, before he felt Cassius’s eyes and turned his gaze Cass’s way.

He then looked to True, who was recovering from a wince aimed in Mac’s direction, before he turned to Cass.

“It seems Ophelia gave you a parting gift, no?” Mars asked, tipping his head to the unicorn Sky.

“Sky and Star have been Ellie’s and mine for some time,” Cassius told him, focusing on this inane conversation rather than what lay all around, how the hell his friends had made it to them in time, what losses they’d suffered and what was next.

“Unicorns have great magic, beyond anything on this earth, including the Mer, but they can’t do that,” Serena declared.

All looked to her.

“If they could fell all about, they would not be threatened by man’s greed for their magic and thus, they would be able to roam free,” she said, “That was their magic, as instilled by a Nadirii yell, as given by a powerful witch. Our mother.”

Cassius finally lowered his sword.

Elena did the same at his side.

Another Nadirii yell started about them, growing stronger and stronger.

This one not calling magic.

This one calling victory.

Gods.

They’d made it.

They’d survived.

She’d survived.

Cass sheathed his weapon and searched for Ellie’s hand.

He found it.

And he held tight.

122

The Losses

King Mars

Base of the Night Heights Mountain Range

AIREN

Mars walked with Silence held close to his side, Kyril and Basil at their backs, through the winding encampment that had struck up after the battle.

Silence was as her name and had been much the same since he’d come to her, drenched from the rain and bloodied from the battle.

Since, he had kept her from the slaughter of the battlefield that, for the last hours, his, True’s and Cassius’s men had been directing militia prisoners to clear.

It was time to report.

But Mars needed no report.

He had seen that battlefield. The moment he and his men had ridden up to it, his gut had dropped thinking that there was no possibility Cass and Elena could be surviving that bloodbath.

In other words, he already knew the losses were grave.

And until they had thorough assessments of the lay of the land about them, he had his sword at his back, his Trusted close, and his wife at his bloody side.

“Mars,” he barked at the flaps of True and Farah’s tent.

Then, without invitation, he pushed through them, drawing Silence in beside him.

“Mars,” Farah said softly, rushing to him.

“Silence,” True greeted, striding to her.

He let his queen go long enough for True to embrace her, Farah to embrace him, and then Farah to embrace Silence.

Then he pulled her close again.

He was not surprised when he saw True do the same to Farah.