The black smoke rolled thick over the ridge, choking the cool mountain air with the stench of burning pine and scorched thatch. We stood at the edge of the woods overlooking Oakhaven. The peaceful sanctuary village was crawling with black-armored infantry, their heavy steel shields forming a terrifying perimeter around the central square. Terrified villagers were dragged from their homes, forced onto their knees in the muddy snow."That's the Iron Vanguard," Miller muttered, racking the bolt of his rifle with a harsh, metallic click. "They were the third battalion under General Vane. Bloodthirsty bastards who never knew how to surrender.""They aren't just raiding," I said, my voice tight as I kept Valis pressed close against my hip. "They're establishing a stronghold.""Daddy, look," Valis whispered, her tiny fingers digging into my wool coat, her body trembling against mine. "They're hurting those people."Below us, a towering officer in dark iron plate threw an old village elder int

The ceiling of the cabin spun in sickly circles. Every breath I dragged into my lungs tasted like old rust and burnt copper. The snow outside had turned into a howling, freezing rain that beat relentlessly against the small glass window."Don't you dare move," Miller growled, his hands shaking as he pressed a hot, wet cloth against my forehead. His clothes were soaked through, dripping freezing rainwater onto the pine floorboards. "I had to drag your dead weight out of the snowbank, Collins. You stopped breathing for almost a full minute.""Valis..." I rasped, my throat feeling like it was lined with broken glass. "Where is...""She's resting in the side room," Miller interrupted, his voice cracking with a fierce, terrified edge. "I told her you just slipped on the ice. I lied to your little girl because I didn't have the heart to tell her that her father is dying on the floor.""I'm not dying," I lied, trying to push myself up on one elbow, but my arm collapsed instantly under my wei

"If you touch that sphere again, Collins, I swear to God I will break your fingers myself."Miller’s voice was a low, dangerous growl, echoing off the white granite walls of the cavern."I do not have a choice, Miller," I rasped, my hand hovering inches above the floating orb of golden light. "You saw the map. Three hundred thousand men are moving toward our borders. I need to stand up.""You need to live!" Miller stepped between me and the altar, his broad chest blocking the warm glow. "You are seventeen years old in body, coughing up black blood every twenty minutes! You think absorbing an ancient imperial artifact is going to magically fix you?""It will buy me time," I said, meeting his hard eyes. "It will settle the soul-burn long enough for me to think. Long enough for me to build a defense.""Dad, please," Valis whispered from behind me, her small hand clutching the hem of my thin wool coat. "What if it hurts you? What if it makes you cold again?"I turned and dropped down to on

"Collins, stop," Miller said, reaching out to grab my shoulder as I hurled another armful of dry pine needles into the hearth. "You don't have to burn the cabin.""Yes, I do," I said, my voice dangerously calm as I watched the flames roar to life, eating away at the wooden floorboards. "If we leave it standing, Kael’s trackers will know we left in a hurry. If it is ash, they will spend two days sifting through the rubble to see if our bones are in the basement.""It's our home," Miller grunted, his eyes glossy in the firelight. He looked around at the small wooden table, the heavy iron kettle, the rough-cut chairs he had spent three weeks carving with his own calloused hands. "We built this place with our bare fingers.""Home is not four wooden walls, Miller," I rasped, grabbing the strap of my travel pack. "Home is keeping her breathing. Now get the horses hooked to the wagon before the smoke brings the northern patrols down on our heads."Miller swallowed hard, his jaw tightening so

"You are going to die in those eastern trenches, Harrison," Marcus spat, slamming his fists down onto the cabin table of the grounded frigate. "Look at yourself! You are seventeen years old, riding on borrowed magic from a golden glass orb! You cannot march into Kael's lair and fight a legion!""I am not marching into his lair to fight his legion, Marcus," I said, my voice steady, ice-cold, and entirely devoid of fear. "I am going there to break his glass before he turns my daughter back into a prisoner.""It is a suicide mission!" Marcus yelled, his face turning red as he leaned over the table, his fingers digging into the sea-stained wood. "You have thirty men! Thirty vanguard volunteers from the northern docks! Kael has fifty thousand heavy infantry garrisoned at the Eastern Citadel alone!""Then those fifty thousand men will watch their regent fail," Miller grunted, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed, his heavy combat knife already strapped back to his chest. "We ar