“Open the gate, let out the charmed ones!” Cassius called to the page who it was clear saw to the corral.

The boy rushed forward to do as told, and I wondered—when the unicorns could magically leap through space, and in a trice, land hundreds of miles away—why they didn’t not-magically leap the fence of the corral.

The page let them out, swiftly running the gate closed before any of the other horses could get free.

However, the unicorns did not rush away to find exercise.

True crowded me and Mars pulled Silence close as they rushed Cassius.

The stallion paced a circle agitatedly around the five of us as the mare went right to her prince, dipped her neck and butted his hand with her nose.

“What is it, love?” he murmured, stroking her muzzle.

But it was the stallion who answered, tossing his head back and braying.

“What are you saying, Sky?” Cassius called to the stallion, still rubbing Star’s nose.

True suddenly tucked me close when Sky reared up, striking the air with his hooves.

This, just as Elena came running.

“Diana!” she shrieked to the page. “Saddle my mount!”

The boy rushed into the corral.

Cassius rushed to Elena.

“What?” he barked, instantly on the alert.

“The Enchantments,” she said, her voice naught but a pant. “Cassius, we have to get to The Enchantments!”

Oh no!

Sky came up behind her, and before Cassius, or anyone, could ask that first question, she whirled on the unicorn, capturing his jaw in her hands.

I was shocked the creature didn’t pull away at her panicked movements, but he did not.

“Will you take us to The Enchantments?” she asked.

The unicorn jerked back his head in clear assent.

“Caelus!” Cassius shouted, running toward the corral.

“Do you need us?” Mars boomed.

Elena’s head whipped around. “We need everyone.”

“Oh, gods,” I breathed.

Mars looked to True, but it was my husband who spoke.

“We cannot leave them,” he said.

“We cannot take them,” Mars finished.

They were talking about us.

Silence and me.

“Bloody hell,” True muttered, then pivoted on his boot and shouted to a loitering Dellish squire, “Saddle Majesty and Regina!” he ordered.

The squire hopped to.

Regina was my steed.

I glanced at Silence who was being dragged away by Mars.

And I received an answer to my unasked question when I heard Mars order a Firenz soldier in Firenzii, “Saddle Hephaestus and Epona. Break camp. We ride!”

Epona was Silence’s mount.

It seemed we weren’t going to Sky Bay after all.

As the purple cleared and Regina’s hooves struck land, at what befell my eyes, it felt like my heart would explode.

We were galloping full bore toward hell.

The Enchantments were under attack.