A Court of War and Sacrifice

39. Equality in Battle

    The war tent was packed full, and the warmth of many bodies filled the air. Outside, the moon was high overhead and snow drifted from the sky. It didn't linger where it landed, but the flurries continued to fall. Azriel shuffled closer to Cassian, allowing Tarquin some more space.

    "Based on what Azriel saw, I know that we're gravely outnumbered," Rhys began. "But Koschei only has the upper hand while he has the Cauldron and Dread Trove. My guess is he will continue to use the Cauldron during the battle. He'll use it against us and he'll use it to create more of his monsters. We must clear a path to him."

    Rhys fixed his gaze on Feyre, Nesta, and Elain. "The three of you were Made. If you get your hands on the Dread Trove, it will answer to you and you'll be able to wield it better than the Queens. With the Crown, we can free the people Koschei is having mind controlled, Vassa included, and we can turn his creatures against him."

    "Koschei is immortal. Only my weapons can kill him," Nesta pointed out.

    "The Queens are wielding them as well," Azriel said. "The Queen with the Crown has Ataraxia. The Queen with the Mask has your Great Sword. The Queen with the Harp has the dagger. Vassa is unarmed."

    "We will head for the Queens first," Rhys said. "Everyone available must form a path to Koschei beyond them. Once we've recovered the weapons and the Trove, Nesta, Feyre, and Elain will attack Koschei. We'll provide what aid we can, but only they will be able to kill him."

    "What about Beron?" Helion asked.

    "He can die with the rest of those bastards," Eris spat.

    "What does each piece of the Dread Trove do?" Kallias asked. "We need to know so we can be on the lookout for signs of their usage."

    It was Amren who answered. "The Crown as you know, has the ability to control the minds of others and force them to do someone's bidding. The Mask allows the wielder to summon the dead and control them. The Harp can open portals to different realities and shift the environment around you."

    "It can also be used to pause or rewind Time," Nesta added. "I'm not sure if it can be used to move Time forward."

    "I had a vision of this battle," Elain murmured. Lucien wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I saw the dead rise and the Harp was used to restore their flesh and bones. They became the undead."

    "And the fourth piece?" Helion prompted. "What does it do?"

    Drakon stepped forward. "The Amulet can resurrect someone who has died. It can grant them a Fae's life span, or merely restore life, depending on the intentions of the user."

    "So essentially," Jurian scoffed, "Koschei's forces cannot be killed. They'll rise as the dead, become the undead, or be thoroughly resurrected."

    "There's a catch when it comes to the Amulet," Drakon interrupted. "You have to make physical contact with a body to restore the person's life. It can't be used from a distance, unlike the other pieces of the Trove."

    "So Vassa will have to move through the battlefield," Cassian thought aloud. "And the other Queens may or may not accompany her."

    "The question is, which course of action will they choose?" Thesan stroked his chin.

    "Keep your eyes peeled. If you see the Queens, alert us at once," Rhys ordered. "We won't be able to coordinate an attack since we don't know where the Queens will be. When the time comes, I trust you to each act on the actions of each other." The High Lords inclined their heads. "Let's get what rest we can."