He threw his arms open wide. Another flash of bright light and a blast of air ripped at another part of the wall. The second explosion mirrored the damage of the first one.

“He’s going to bring the whole castle down on top of us!” Syrani screamed.

A girl came and stood next to Joss, her blonde hair a shade or two lighter. She closely resembled a younger version of Gloria. “They are!” I agreed, as Joss’s sister, Tenya, hurled a wave of power at the closest flank heading to attack them. She was guarding Joss as he rounded up for another attack on the castle. She was smaller and not as strong, but she was still a weapon to be used against us.

“Syrani!” I yelled at her, “Do something.”

Syrani gritted her teeth and began frantically rebuilding the wall with earth. She filled the gaps in the walls and sealed them, trapping some of the Septori within the earthen layer as she desperately tried to build up the wall.

I couldn’t help but scan the army and seek out the others. The Denai. If Joss was here, then the others that were taken would be here. And then I began spotting them. Brecken, Tydus, Marcel, Karni plus dozens more of controlled Denai, all scattered along the field. Fireballs erupted out of the earth as Brecken cleared the way for another wave of troops to attack.

All of them, under the influence of the Septori, were reaping massive destruction upon the horde of the Sinnendor army. I picked up my bow and arrow and nocked it, but I couldn’t find the willpower to release it. How could I kill my peers? While my inner battle consumed me, I managed to pick out an older faceless target wearing a red robe as he ran down one of the Elite. I released the arrow, and sighted my next victim. One by one, I picked off random targets from among the Raven’s Septori. I felt a little more vindication with each death, but it couldn’t come near to erasing the devastation the mind-controlled Denai wreaked.

“Thalia!” Syrani called out, her face now completely covered in sweat and dirt. She built up another wall, only for Joss to blast a hole somewhere else. “There are too many of them. I can’t fight off all of them by myself.”

A desperate voice cried out a warning from below, and we ducked as a large fiery missile just missed our heads, crashing into the courtyard beneath us. Fireballs rained down from heaven as the young fire-gifted Brecken started an attack from the air.

“Do what you can, Syrani. Show them what a Master Denai of Earth can really do,” I encouraged. Her worried look transform into one of complete and utter confidence.

“You’re right! I’m from one of the most powerful Denai families in Calandry. I don’t clean up other people’s messes. I make them.” Syrani’s face lit with pure delight as she abandoned her defensive strategy and went on the offensive. She focused her power on the earth around Joss. Suddenly, he and his sister vanished into a cavern deep below the ground.

“Did you…?” I couldn’t finish.

“No, I just sealed them in a hole deep below. It will take them a bit to get out.” She turned her gaze toward another group of enemy soldiers running toward our gate. Hundreds of Septori slid into a huge pile of quicksand—the more they struggled, the more they sank.

I fired another arrow and took out another Septori.

Apparently, we would have to go without rebuilding the walls. Syrani couldn’t do two things at once, and attacking the army was more important at the moment. I needed Syrani to unleash her power like she’d never done before.

Targeting pockets of the enemy army without attacking our own became more difficult for her, though she was clearly doing her best. Sometimes one of the Elite were caught in the landslide or shifting sands and disappeared with the men deep under the earth.

I reached behind me for another arrow and came up empty. “Here! More arrows!” I called.

A young boy ran along the wall, staying low, to bring me another quiver of arrows. He deposited them at my feet and stood up to give me a relieved smile that soon fell into a mask of pain. His eyes dropped and I couldn’t help but follow his gaze to see the silver tip of an enemy arrow protruding from his chest. His mouth opened in a small oh and then he slid to the ground.

“AAAAHHH!” I screamed and whirled around, searching for the attacker with an arrow at the ready, but I was greeted by the surprised look of Prince Sevril. He looked awful. Dark shadows ringed his eyes and he looked pale. He looked over the rampart and watched as Sinnendor’s flag bearer went down. The long black banner fluttered once, twice, and then fell to the ground.

Prince Sevril looked grim. “Come with me before all is lost.”

I looked to the boy and felt anger and fresh tears fall down my face. Everything was already lost. I couldn’t even find my father among the mass of red soldiers and field of blood. Our clan was now separated, and I had no clue who was alive or dead. I wasn’t ready to retreat, but we needed a better battle plan. I turned to grab Syrani, but Sevril shook his head.

“Let her be. She will be most useful here,” he said.

“She could die here.”

“We will all die here,” Sevril said solemnly but grabbed my wrist and pulled.

I hesitated. I couldn’t abandon Syrani.

He saw my hesitation. Sevril took a deep breath looked me in the eyes and begged. “Please. I need your help.”

It was the ‘please’ that did it. I ran after him, careful to not look at all of the dead bodies lying on the ground. Even though they were strangers, a sense of heavy injustice filled me. They were my people. They were Sirens like me. Blood watered so thin we couldn’t possibly be related, but still. I felt like they were my responsibility.

Swords and shields clashed as the army made it through one of the partially repaired walls. They were right on our heels. The large double doors were barely being held open as a servant waited for Prince Sevril and me to dash through. As soon as I passed through the threshold, the doors were slammed and bolted. Furniture started to pile up in front of the doors. Ready to make a last defense, the servants faced the oncoming slaughter with grim determination.

This day was a rewriting of history. Only this time, it wasn’t the Denai being slaughtered but the Sirens.

We could hear the pounding of the castle doors as the army tried to break in. Servants and more troops arrived to block the door with more heavy objects, tables and chairs. More of the Elite in armor gathered in the main hall preparing to defend with their lives. It was odd. A few days ago, they’d been my enemies. Now they were trying to save me.

Sevril pulled me on. I followed him down hall after hall, until he came to a large marble sculpture in an alcove. Sevril stepped up to the statue and pulled the curtain behind the alcove to reveal a small wooden door. With a quick push, he had it open and beckoned me to follow him down a dark set of stairs. Why did everything always have to lead down? I halted and he turned to stare at me impatiently.

“Come on,” he grabbed my hand and pulled me down after him.

“No, not until you tell me where we’re going.” I argued. A loud crash and the metal clang of swords alerted me that the invaders had breached the main hall.

“We don’t have time for explanations,” Xiven suddenly appeared behind me. His hands hit my shoulder blades and pushed me roughly down the stairs. I fell forward the first three steps, my ankle twisting as I tried to catch myself.