higher, began to move in ever-widening circles above her, like a bairn learning to swim. He opened his jaws and let out a thunderous roar.
Fritha grinned, riding at the head of her mongrel army, Gunil upon Claw at one shoulder, Elise slithering upon her sinuous coils at the other, Morn and Wrath sweeping in looping circles above them. Behind her the land seethed with warriors and Ferals and Revenants.
And Fritha set her head towards Dun Seren.
We’re coming for you, Order of the Bright Star. Time to learn what happens to those allied to the Ben-Elim.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
DREM
Drem knocked on Byrne’s door.
“Enter,” Byrne called, and Drem opened the door and walked into Byrne’s sparsely furnished chamber. She stood by a tall window, the shutters thrown wide, night spilling into the room. Drem walked forwards a few paces, shuffled to a stop. He still felt ashamed that Byrne had fought for him against Kol, the Ben-Elim. Not that he would have stood a chance against the winged warrior—that had been blatantly obvious from the first few moments of the duel.
But it still felt wrong, that someone else had done his fighting for him.
Byrne turned, the cut on her cheek from Kol’s sword freshly stitched and scabbed. Another reminder of his shame.
“Thank you,” Byrne said.
“What for?” Drem frowned.
“For giving me the absolute joy of putting Kol on his arse.” She smiled, the stern high captain gone for a few moments. “I have wanted to do that for a very long time.”
Drem shook his head, remembering how he had been wracked with the fear of losing Byrne, of someone else close to him dying. “I thought he was going to kill you.”
“Kol? That bag of hot wind?” Byrne shook her head, saw Drem’s expression and walked to him.
“That duel has been a long time coming. It should have happened fifteen years ago. Olin begged me for the honour, but I forbade him. He said Neve would want it that way, that she would not want so much damage to come from her one moment of anger. But I feared you would be left an orphan. Olin was good, but not as good as me.” She said it matter-of-factly, no pride or arrogance in the statement. “If I had challenged Kol then, when he came for you all those years ago, then Olin would have been shamed. In hindsight, I wish I had still done it. Olin’s shame would have been better than losing you all these years, and Olin would not be dead.”
“He did what he felt he had to do, to protect me and the Order,” Drem said.
“Oh, I know that.” Byrne sighed. “The fault was mine. But all is so much simpler when you look back on it.” She poured two cups from a jug, gave one to Drem. Spiced mead. Drem enjoyed the honey in his throat and the warmth filling his belly.
“So, the Desolation,” Byrne said. “Keld has reported back to me on what happened. And Rab. He had a good view.”
Byrne looked Drem in the eye, held his gaze.
“You did well. Utul tells me he is in your debt. You saved his life.”
Drem just shrugged, not sure what to say.
“Moments like that, when you act when there is no room for thought, they show the truth of a person,” Byrne said.
Drem remained silent.
“But you left Dun Seren, volunteered to go back to the Desolation. Do you regret coming here?”
“No!” Drem said in a rush. “I, it is… I do find it hard here. So many people, and walls everywhere.” He shrugged. “I’ve lived in the Desolation for most of my life, in the company of one man, little else but trees, ice and sky for company.” He shrugged again.
Byrne nodded, thinking over his words.
“So, it is adjusting to this place, to us,” she said. “It is not that you wish you had not come, or that now you’ve seen us you wish to leave? Better a hard truth than a kind lie.”
Drem liked that, because that was exactly how he felt.
He drew in a deep breath, thinking hard on it, because Byrne’s honesty deserved it.
“I want to be here,” Drem said. “I have not been here long, but as strange as it seems, it feels like home. Not the walls and towers, but because of… you. And Keld and Cullen. They are good men, and dear to me.” He blew out a long breath, felt he’d come close to expressing how he felt.
Byrne gazed at him a while longer. Then