The Catalyst

Chapter 63

In the cold, apprehensive silence, the archers' breathing came out in white puffs of air. Clouds dominated the night sky, so that their only illumination came from fire pits placed at intervals behind the battlements.

The Azurians had come with the darkness, as expected. They were unseen but not unheard; thousands of men in heavy armor approaching wasn't exactly inconspicuous.

Jaden led the defense on the east wall, with a third of the King's Arrows, a dozen of Kitera's most skilled archers, and about fifty swordsmen from the garrison. It wasn't enough, yet it would have to be. Their strength needed to be divided and distributed on all four fronts. Kitera was in command of the south wall, Master Gareth the west, and Bastian would hold the north side. In case of a breach, they would sound the horn and retreat to the inner wall.

Standing beside him with an arrow already notched, Liandris said, "Remember when you saved me from that priest? Back then I swore to myself that I'd work hard and learn to shoot like you. Well, I've been practicing to the point of exhaustion and I still can't do what you do with a bow and arrow."

"I've got a couple years' practice on you," Jaden said. "Go easy on yourself."

Liandris gazed beyond the moat at the pregnant darkness, his grip tightening on his bow. "I can't afford to. Not tonight."

Not knowing what to say, Jaden only nodded and briefly grasped Liandris' shoulder. Then he turned to glance at Noah, who stood a few feet behind. His raven hair had grown since they'd first met, now spilling over his forehead and into the corner of his eye. Noah brushed it away and returned Jaden's glance, his green eyes betraying his nerves as they caught the firelight.

Jaden stepped closer. "Are you all right?"

"Not really. I'm trying, Jay . . . it's not working."

"You're overthinking it," Jaden said. "Just let it happen, ease into it, like we practiced."

Noah didn't have time to reply before Liandris turned and said, "I think they're crossing the bridge." Jaden spun back around.

The drumming of many booted steps hurrying across stone drifted to his ears. Agitation rippled across the row of archers. They notched and aimed, bowstrings taut, waiting for his signal. But they could only see blurry shapes. If Noah couldn't pull this off, they would have to shoot blindly, hitting a few Azurians if they were lucky. Most likely wasting a great deal of precious arrows.

Suddenly, a surprised scream erupted from the bridge, followed by the sickening crunch of a spike piercing a body. One of the soldiers had fallen down the moat. Then they heard the orders of an Azurian man, telling the others to keep going, from the sound of it. At least, the lack of visibility wasn't only hindering the Fellerans.

"Should we shoot now?" Liandris prompted.

Jaden briefly closed his eyes, resigned to unleash a volley of arrows. But then everyone gasped in awe, and when he opened his eyes again the scenery was bathed in light, as if the blanket of night had been lifted from the castle grounds. Jaden had told his soldiers that his mage friend would attempt this incredible feat, so they took it in stride. As for the Azurians, they stood frozen in shock in the sudden brightness.

"Now!" Jaden shouted and released the first arrow. It pierced the Azurian soldier closest to the end of the bridge, and he dove to the spikes with an arrow in his neck.

As myriad arrows rained down on them, the red-clad men screamed and succumbed to chaos. Many of them fell to their deaths as others pushed through, trying to cross the narrow bridge. Jaden glanced up at the undefended barbican and the patches of land flanking it.