Laurel shoots light daggers at his chest, but he evades them by aerstepping away and using his own sword to block, leaving his people behind to be struck with her magic. Several of them drop to the ground with grunts of pain. With a growl, Laurel creates a massive cyclone of air that she sends spinning toward Krantz and his group, but he uses his own air magic power to smother it. With a whistle from Krantz, dozens more rebels surround us on all sides, emerging from deep within the forest. This was a trap, and we fell right into it, surrounded now by at least a hundred fighters. Fionn grunts next to me, the same realization dawning on him.

“Go. Help her, please,” I beg him. Despite losing his magic from the iron-tipped arrow that skimmed his shoulder, Fionn is still a formidable warrior, and the wound is shallow enough that he can still fight with full physical strength. I won’t leave Laurel defenseless, and while I’ll fight until I drop, I can feel my body losing its battle with the iron coursing through my veins. Fionn releases me and I stagger but remain upright. He crosses the thick shield and runs stealthily into the copse of trees surrounding us, swords in both fists.

Without his support, the pain from the gash in my leg nearly overwhelms me. My eyes water and a wave of nausea makes me sway on my feet. I’m about to drop, but Silene scoops her shoulder under mine, supporting my weight despite her small frame. I try not to place all my weight on her, but a shooting pain down my leg forces me to slump. I take a deep breath, wanting desperately to pull myself together to help Laurel.

Grunts from the shadows sound out, and I know Fionn has started his covert campaign. The noises embolden Laurel, and lightning strikes again at the same time that she launches herself forward into Krantz, light sword in one hand and a steel blade in the other. They fight in close combat, a whirl of blades and magic flashing with light as Laurel’s lightning strikes around them. I wince every time a bolt hits the ground, worried she’ll lose track of the magic and zap herself. But my fear is unwarranted, for Laurel fights as well as any Andomer light channeler who’s been training for centuries. She moves through her forms with expert precision, shielding one moment and parrying with a light sword the next, all while maintaining the shield around Silene and me. Pride radiates through my chest even as I clench my hands in fear for her.

But Krantz is a strong fighter as well, and he uses Laurel’s rage against her. It’s obvious to an observer that he’s slowly edging her toward a group of rebels. Silene’s gasp tells me she notices it too.