Twilight's Dawn

and said, *Stay put.*
    “Have they heard from Lucivar?” Merry asked.
    “No,” Surreal said, watching the Eyriens. All the Warlords were angry. If there was trouble in the north, they shouldn’t have been pissing around with a flyover. Maybe they wouldn’t have followed Lucivar north, but they would have formed a guard to watch over Doun and Riada.
    Nothing that was done today made sense if there was real trouble.
    She’d barely finished that thought when an Eyrien came winging in from the opposite direction—from the north.
    He stumbled as he landed. Bloody face, bloody clothes.
    *He’s the same one who came this morning to fetch Lucivar,* Merry told her.
    Surreal felt the cold rage twining down the link she still had with Sadi. Shit shit shit. She should have broken the link when she had a chance. If she cut him off now, he’d be down here among the Eyriens looking for answers, and he wouldn’t be concerned about who, if anyone, survived that little chat.
    “He’s dead!” the young Warlord cried as he stumbled toward them. “Yaslana is dead!”
    “No!” Hallevar roared. “There’s nothing in this valley strong enough to bring down the Ebon-gray!”
    *Except his brother,* Surreal sent. The snarl that came back to her was full of hot anger, not cold rage. Thank the Darkness for that.
    “Where?” Rothvar shouted as Zaranar said, “Are you sure?”
    “That bastard was expecting this,” Rainier whispered in her ear.
    She looked at Falonar and swore.
    Rainier was right. The other Eyriens were angry, upset, outraged. But Falonar stood there, looking stiff and accepting.
    “I don’t believe it,” Rothvar said. “I’ve seen Yaslana fight. You look me in the eyes and say it again.”
    “I saw it!” the young Warlord shouted. “Lucivar Yaslana is—”
    Surreal threw her arms over her head as the Warlord’s body exploded with such force the pebbles of bone against her shield sounded like hail against a window. Behind her, Merry screamed, and Rainier and Briggs both cried out in shock.
    A moment later, she felt that Ebon-gray presence and looked down the street.
    He was covered in blood that ran from his half-opened wings and dripped from the war blade. She’d seen that glazed look when he’d fought in the spooky house. She eased back enough to shelter Merry.
    “I told you nothing could bring him down!” Hallevar yelled.
    Shouts and cheers as Lucivar walked toward the Eyriens, although how they could see him through the red rain clouding the street was beyond her. It settled faster than it should have, given the amount of power that had been punched into that fool, as if a hand were pressing it down.
    *Surreal?* Daemon asked.
    *He’s alive, I think—and very pissed off.”
    *You think?*
    *He’s covered in so much blood it’s hard to tell.* Shit. Shouldn’t have told Daemon that.
    Lucivar stared at Falonar, who seemed frozen.
    Rothvar, however, took a step forward. “How may we be of service, Prince?” he asked Lucivar. “Is there any cleanup that needs to be done in the north?”
    Lucivar continued to stare at Falonar. “No cleanup. This prick was the last enemy on the killing field.”
    “What about the Eyriens who fought with you?” Zaranar asked. “Do any of them need help?”
    “There weren’t any.”
    Stunned silence.
    “ None? ” Hallevar finally said.
    “None,” Lucivar said.
    Surreal didn’t like the flat sound of Lucivar’s voice. It wasn’t Lucivar .
    He turned his head and looked at her. “Are you well?”
    That’s the question I’d like to ask you. “Yes, I’m well. What can I do for you, Yaslana?”
    “Inform the Queen that the trouble has been dealt with. She can release the village from lockdown. Where is my brother?”
    Don’t you know? “At your eyrie.”
    Lucivar focused on Rothvar and Zaranar. “Take your formations and do a sweep over Riada and its landen villages.”
    They nodded, but Hallevar said, “I’ve been out doing flyovers around Doun all morning. I’d appreciate a chance to thaw out these old bones.”
    Old bones, my ass , Surreal thought, watching Hallevar, Kohlvar, Tamnar, and Endar leave the formations and come up beside her. If the Gray was going out to report to Riada’s Queen, there would be sufficient warriors to take her place guarding The Tavern.
    “Falonar,” Lucivar said too softly. “With me. Now.” Spreading his wings, he launched himself skyward and headed for Falonar’s eyrie.
    Falonar didn’t look at any