Chapter 344

ZADE Too soon, it was time. I stood, and everyone else immediately quieted, recognizing the shift. "Strike teams, gear up. We leave in fifteen minutes." The organized chaos of preparation filled the next quarter hour. Warriors checking weapons one final time, communication equipment being tested, last-minute adjustments to the plan as new intelligence came in from scouts. Lyn pulled me aside just before we headed out, his hands framing my face as he looked at me with an intensity that made my chest tight. "Come back to me," he said simply. "Whatever happens, whatever it costs—come back." "I will," I promised, meaning it with everything I had. "And Zade? If you die stupidly, I'm going to find a way to resurrect you just so I can kill you again myself." "Noted," I said, then kissed him like it might be the last time, memorizing the taste of him and the feel of his magic humming under his skin. When I finally pulled away, I saw Xenois saying goodbye to Lumina and the kids, saw the barely