way their eyes focused on Granna with utter trust.
"We fly out in three days. Take that time to prepare. Say your goodbyes. Some of us will not return. Choose your riders carefully. Ensure they are trained for battle and prepared to face carnage. I don't want anyone who might be afraid." Granna counted off the objectives on her fingers, as if she'd already had a list in mind. And perhaps she had.
"Why wait three days?" the mustached man asked. "Why not fly out to the Yellow now and destroy them while we have the chance? They will not be prepared."
“We must be prepared as well,” Granna said. She took a moment to look at each person in the face. “I do not want to lose any of you. Go now. Get sleep. Eat. Prepare for war.”
***
Three days later, Tressa pulled on the armor Fi had supplied for her.
"How long am I to remain prisoner here?" Avital asked from the corner of the room.
Two guards stood outside her chambers. She had asked to speak with Avital, and this was the only way she could get some privacy with him.
"As soon as the war is over, you'll be freed. No one here will harm you. They just don't want you turning on them either. And I think it's clear I no longer need your protection." Tressa adjusted the armor over her chest. It was surprisingly lightweight, which was good for the dragons. Too much weight would slow them down.
"This is not what I agreed to," Avital said. "I am a warrior, and I should be with my people."
"I understand that," Tressa said. "But I also owe much to your brother. I won't send you home only to face slaughter."
Avital punched a fist into his open hand. "It is how I want to die. Fighting is in my blood. I live to serve the Yellow. Not cower in the prisons of the Black."
"I know that. I do,” Tressa said. “But what would I tell Jarrett if you died in battle when I knew full well I could prevent it? No, I won't risk it." She took a deep breath and walked over to Avital, laying her hand on his. "You are like family to me, regardless of our differences."
Avital yanked his wrist, but he couldn't get his hand away from hers. The guards had tied his arms and legs to the chair. Another concession she had reluctantly agreed to. "You are not my family. You are not wed to my brother. The two of you have promised nothing. A romp in the sack does not constitute marriage and family. If that was the case, the queen of Risos, the one your lead Black dragon fried, would be my family as well. Who should I fight for? The woman who kept Jarrett satisfied for years, or you, who has been in his life less than a year?"
Tressa crossed the room and knocked on the door. The guards entered, their faces grim. "Is everything okay?" the one on the right asked.
"Yes. We're done here," Tressa said. "Take him back to his cell."
Avital struggled against the guards’ grip to no avail. They untied Avital and dragged him out of the room by his arms.
"I won't forget this," Avital yelled back to Tressa. "You are marked, and I will be the one to claim your life."
Fi stepped through the doorway. "He's lovely, isn't he?"
Tressa laughed and closed the door behind her friend. "I don't know him well, but he is Jarrett's brother, so I'm determined to treat him with respect. It isn't easy."
"He's spirited. That's a good trait." Fi smiled. "The armor suits you."
Tressa shrugged. "It fits. I'm not thrilled to be going into battle again. Frankly, I'm a little tired of it."
"I can imagine," Fi said. She ran her hands through her black hair. "We only have a little time before we leave for battle. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." Tressa stood in front of the mirror. Fi's reflection paced nervously, her hands behind her back. "What is it?"
Fi sat on the bed. "It's Sarah. She's scared I'm not going to come back. After the way Sophia spoke in the battle room, I almost believe this will be my last flight."
"Oh, Fi, don't think that way. You've heard what I've been through since getting out of Hutton's Bridge. I'm not dead yet." Tressa sat down next to her.
Fi rolled her eyes. "Death is inevitable. No one lives forever. Not even my great-uncle, though some say Mestifito