Hundreds of troops were taking aim with fired arrows shot into the forest, but instead of them soaring through the air and exploding amongst the trees, they detonated against an invisible shield.

Worse, there were dozens of catapults and trebuchets raining fire against the shield. Buckets of fuel set aflame were detonating against the Nadirii’s protective veil in great swoops of blaze. With each powerful strike, a wave would reverberate, and an opening would form, giving a glimpse of sun and green that was starkly different than the chill, gray, late-autumn day in Airen.

Our horses had barely taken two dozen strides when, as if they had practiced it, True and Mars broke off in formation, curving to the left, taking Silence and my mares with them, forcing us to the back of the phalanx of Dellish, Airenzian, Firenz and Nadirii warriors who had traveled with us.

They guided us up a hill and True’s Majesty circled me, my husband’s head whipping this way and that to keep hold on my eyes, as he ordered gutturally, “You stay here, and if danger approaches before I can get a guard to you, you flee!”

He then rounded Regina, dug his heels into his steed’s sides, and shouted, “Heeyah!”

They raced forward, with Mars following them.

Breathing heavily, Silence and I sidestepped our mounts so we were closer to each other, and we stared down at the mayhem below that our beloved husbands were speeding toward.

The others had engaged in battle and we could hear the clangs of steel and shouts of combat.

“Not to worry,” Silence decreed, her voice quiet and small, betraying she was not taking her own advice. “The Enchantments have never been broken and our husbands are the greatest warriors of our realms.”

I did not wish to worry. I knew both of these things, and they should have heartened me.

But as missile after missile struck the shield and some of the shouts of combat became noises of a different kind, I tried to keep my gaze glued to True and felt my heart squeeze when I lost sight of him in the confusion of the melee.

My True, so true, charging in without hesitation.

He was an example of right being might too.

And in that moment, weakness struck me, for I wished suddenly that he was just a little bit less true in order to keep himself a lot more safe.

“Oh, balls, no,” Silence murmured, and my attention shifted to her then back to the action and I shot straight on my steed.

A rift had opened in the veil protecting The Enchantments that not only did not close but also did not hold the missiles at bay.

They were getting through.

And with the intensity of the onslaught, The Enchantments were catching fire.

“This cannot be,” I whispered.