The truck sped past empty villages. Houses were dark. Suitcases lay dropped in the dirt. Toys were left in the streets. People were running for their lives.
Nathan watched the red sky and felt the heavy weight of the war. Clamour, Smithy, and the Pale Shepherd Lord were out there, pulling the strings. And back in the city, Dr. Wren was working on a potion that could break his magic limit—if he lived long enough to drink it.
'Master,' Mirko said through the link. 'You are brooding. I can feel it.'
"I'm thinking."
'You are brooding while thinking. It is your signature. But we have faced worse than this. We beat a fire dragon and a giant bird. We survived the Crimson Lord. These monsters are nothing.'
'She is correct,' Kuro added smoothly. 'The Court uses chaos and fear. We are not chaotic, and we are not afraid. We are ready.'
'The Young Lord carries the fire,' Shiro said softly. 'The flame that never dies. The Court does not know what they have woken up. They will learn today.'
