and if she had possessed even a measure less graal to allow for vulnerability, one of these commanders would have killed her by now, whether or not she had a viable heir.
How many would act against her wishes and come over to him, when Lady Mab still lived, still ruled Eyrie and wielded her will with brutality enough to slaughter hundreds of rectors in their Temples, just to weed out a handful of traitors?
“Ride with me,” he said to the commanders, though his mother thought he was speaking to her. “Ride with me to save those who gave me aid—and to save Eyrie.”
“Of course I will,” his mother said, unaware of his dual purpose.
Of the dozens of men who could hear him, at least half gripped the hilts of their swords in silent assent.
As for the others, Nic had no idea if they meant to follow her command or his. Their eyes and faces gave no indication of their intentions, and he couldn’t blame them. If he died in battle and his mother lived, she would kill them all and their families, too, if she thought they hadn’t given her proper service.
She might kill them all anyway, no matter what the outcome.
“Bring my son a horse!” Lady Mab shouted, and Nic heard the movement in the ranks as a battle steed was passed forward for his use.
He turned to see the horse just as his mother pointed to Snakekiller. “As for her, this Stone Sister who put a blade to my throat—kill her.”
“No!” Nic yelled, turning so quickly he lost his balance and smashed to the ground at his mother’s feet. He loosed his graal in a fierce burst, using all he knew to shield Snakekiller and drive back anyone who meant her harm.
A burst of silver-blue light exploded around him and the advancing soldiers, deflecting his graal and knocking the soldiers aside like so many armored gnats.
Where Snakekiller had been, a huge hood snake reared, taller than a heartwood and thicker around its coiled midsection.
The great beast opened its fanged mouth and struck, terrifying its attackers. Many threw down weapons and backed away, hands raised.
Nic wanted to shout, to shift into some monster himself and roar beside her, taking down anyone who dared to do her harm. He had no idea if this was illusion or some secret skill Snakekiller had nurtured, telling no one of her full and deadly potential. And he didn’t care.
When the big snake launched itself over the heads of the fighters who would have killed it, when those fighters lunged aside to save themselves, he did shout.
By the time Nic managed to pull himself to his feet, Snakekiller was gone, leaving a swath of bloodied soldiers on their knees in her wake.
“We’ll deal with her later,” Lady Mab said, oblivious to Nic’s attempts to pull free the light sword he carried. She grabbed the stallion meant for him as it tried to run by her, using her legacy and the unnatural strength granted to her by insanity to stop the beast and bring it to the ready for his use.
Nic stopped struggling with his sword and snatched the reins away from her. She commandeered a horse for herself as he bit back shouts of pain and hauled himself into the stallion’s saddle, intent on finding Snakekiller, then Dari and Aron. If some of the Mab commanders came with him, so be it. If they didn’t, then he hoped they fell in battle right beside his mother, or what was left of the woman who once was Lady Mab.
“Ride with me!” she shrieked, to Nic, to the commanders, to all the soldiers who could hear her as her graal swelled above her like a deadly red cloud. “I see our future. I see it clearly and it’s there, over that rise, in the valley below. Ride against Ross. Ride to Triune!”
Before Nic could react or speak against her, the great tide that was the army of Mab swept him up in a clatter of hooves and shields and swords, battle-cries ringing as they rode.
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
ARON
“Can you hold them?” Stormbreaker asked as he and Aron took down the last of the Thorn Brothers who had attacked them, sending their barbed swords flying into the moat around Triune. One of the men toppled to one of the many sets of hammered boards that had been used to breach the waters and carry attackers closer to the castle.
“Can you stop those children?” Stormbreaker shouted again, sounding more urgent