Kingdom of Ash

Aedion Ashryver rasped, “No one is getting
through that wall of Ironteeth.”
Manon bared her teeth. “I am.” She pointed
at the shape-shifter. “You can carry me.”
Aedion snarled, “No.”
But Lysandra shook her head, sorrow and
despair in her green eyes. “I can’t—the magic
is drained. If I had an hour—”
“We have five minutes,” Manon snapped.
She whirled to the Thirteen. “We have trained
for this. To break apart enemy ranks. We can
get through them. Take apart that tower.”
But they all looked at one another. Like
they’d had some unspoken conversation and
agreement.
The Thirteen stalked toward their own
mounts. Sorrel clasped Manon’s shoulder as
she passed, then climbed onto her wyvern’s
back. Leaving Asterin before Manon.
Her Second, her cousin, her friend, smiled,