The ride to Lania was long and filled with troubles. The fairy magic, which took Dusk and her team precious time to dismantle, had hampered their progress. With every destroyed spell, the fairies' glow diminished.

Eventually even Dusk had to admit that she needed to conserve more energy, so had joined Valda on top of the white mare instead of using her wings. The other fairies had already taken similar steps, all wanting to be of some help during the upcoming battle.

When Valda first laid eyes on her Mom's Kingdom her heart clenched painfully. The outer villages had been pillaged, and many lay in burnt-out ruins. No creatures stirred in the remains, and the smokey tint to the air was like a poison waiting to strike. It clung to the back of their throats and made breathing difficult.

Despite knowing there was no one there, Valda couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The uneasy expressions on her cousins and Tevin's faces didn't bring much warmth to heart. Still, no one mentioned their feelings. To speak about it would make it real, and the last thing they needed was to be jumping at shadows.

Still, Valda's eyes peered into every dark corner, expecting to see a pair of eyes looking back at her. She never did.

"From here we split up." Tevin slipped from the horse he shared with Mauve, handing her the reins and placing a kiss on her knuckles.

Silent tears streamed down Mauve's face. "Please be careful."

He forced a smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Always am May."

Valda and Dusk dismounted, the white mare scratched at the ground unhappily, her head swivelling to take in their surroundings.

Valda reached up to steady her. "Go join your friends." She pushed the house towards the others and although the horse was reluctant, she eventually went.

"Take care of yourself, Arlie." Carrick almost commanded as Arlie too slipped from her horse.

"You sound almost worried, Sire." She winked up at him but nodded her head just the barest amount. She wouldn't make vague promises. No one could prepare for what happened in the heat of battle.

"Let's go. I can already feel the equinox approaching." Gamjee and his clan looked around at each other nervously.

Valda and Mauve nodded their heads. They too had felt the shifting power. The land practically hummed with it. They had to find Lorcan before it reached its apex or they would lose their queen forever.

Carrick and Mauve slipped from their horses, and for a moment the four of them hugged.

It was like they were back on their journey to the stronghold. Valda would have given anything just to go back to those days for a few hours.

It had seemed so easy compared to what they were about to do. Learning magic, making alliances, escaping Lorcan's forces. It all felt like a great big adventure story. Something her Dad would have told her as a bedtime story. Only now she had to be brave enough to see it through to the end.

"Come on Valda, we need to go." Tevin took her hand and they broke away, leaving Mauve and Carrick looking after them until they and their team disappeared into the trees.

Valda gripped Tevin's hand, whilst using her other to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"It'll be okay Valda, we'll all make it," Tevin chanted, trying to reassure both of them, but Valda could see the worry in his eyes.

She nodded her head, not trusting her voice, and eventually they fell into silence.

The sounds of the rest of the army grew fainter as their smaller group followed behind Tevin. He led the way through the dense forest, growing more encouraged as they passed various landmarks.

"Here it is." Tevin rushed forward and lifted the vines and roots away from a wooden door built into the ground.

"You wouldn't even know it was there." Dusk whistled in appreciation.

"Exactly, it was built as an escape route in the castle's early days, but it's partially collapsed in places so it was forgotten."

"Until you found it," Valda reminded him.

Tevin paused, his expression dark before he barked a laugh. "I suppose. At least some good came out of it." Thinking about the times his father had left him in the dungeons and the kids who had bullied him.

Shaking himself from his dark thoughts, he carefully lifted the rotted wooden doors.

The smell of damp and decay greeted their noses and made everyone, but the trolls, take a step back. The fairies in particular looked like they'd just seen the entrance to their very own personal hell.

Rakash and Kelraz, their troll guides, stepped forward and passed two lengths of rope to the rest of the assembled group.

"Keep hold of this. If you get into difficulty, tug it sharply and we'll stop." Kelraz said gruffly whilst a silent Rakash just nodded his head.

With one last look at the open sky, they plunged into the darkness.

Rumblings sounded above them, and they knew their friends had begun the attack on the castle's defenses. There was no turning back now, even if they wanted to. Their only hope was the immediate attack would take the attention of most of Lorcan's forces.

Rakash and Kelraz paused, listening at the door. Hearing nothing, they pushed it open, feeling the heavy tapestry slide out of their way.

"The dungeons are located down the corridor." Tevin spoke, though there was still no light to see where he was pointing to.

They began walking anyway, Rakash and Kelraz still leading the way.

Light flickered ahead of them and they drew their weapons ready for an attack. Their pace slowed as they listened to the voices.

"The guards?"

"They've all left. One of them said something about an attack?"

"You think it's the other Lords? The ones who escaped?"

Valda and Tevin shared a look. It appeared their plan was working, at least for now.

The others looked back at Valda, waiting for her to make the first move.

Breathing deeply, Valda created a ball of fire in her hands. It illuminated the serious faces around her and they all nodded their heads, raising their weapons.

Following her lead, she and the others stepped around the corner to be greeted with complete and utter silence. Blank faces stared back at them from inside large metal cages.

"Where is Artair?"

A tall, dark skinned man stepped forward, his features flickering in the light of her fire. "I am Artair. Who are you? Why are you here?" He said with distrust, weary of more of his brother's trickery.

"My name is Valda-"

"Valda? Is it really you?" His face instantly transforming as he pressed it up against the bars. "Then Mauve and Carrick? Are they still alive?" He fired the questions rapidly, his eyes pouring over her face.

"They are leading the attack on the castle from the outside," Valda explained. "Rakash think you can do something with these bars?" She looked back at the troll who lumbered forward and began tinkering at the keyhole.

The Fae in the cages stepped back, their faces creased with concern.

Artair blinked at the creature before his eyes focused on the other trolls and fairies. "You keep strange company, Valda." His eyes momentarily landing on Tevin.

"You should see the rest of the army, Prince Artair." Dusk smirked whilst the other fairies chuckled.

Artair looked to Valda for an explanation, who shrugged. "Lorcan doesn't just threaten Fae, Artair, we could never have mounted this attack without them."

The lock chose that moment to click open, and the door to the first cage sprang free. Rakash smiled triumphantly, showing off his black teeth, before heading to the next cage.

Within a few minutes, they had set the rest of the knights and high Fae free.

"What's the plan, Valda?" Artair asked.

The men looked at him in confusion. "Sire, why are you asking this girl? We don't need help from the likes of these."

Quicker than the man could react, Valda had her inflamed hands inches from his face. "Without these people you would still be stuck in that cage, so if you say that again I will gladly put you back in there." Her voice was lethal as the man looked at her with fearful eyes.

"You really are your mother's daughter." Artair mused. "Men let me introduce you to Queen Orlaigh's daughter and your ruling Princess, Princess Valda."

"That can't be. This girl can't be Queen Orlaigh's child." Said the same man as before.

Dusk stepped forward and casually touched the man's arm, causing him to crumple to the floor. "That man just didn't learn. Now does anyone else have a problem with Princess Valda?"

Valda's comrades raised their weapons, staring down the Fae, challenging them to take another step.

"Enough of this foolishness." Artair glared down at his men, outraged by their behaviour. He turned back to Valda. "Tell us what we need to do. We are at your disposal."

Not wasting anymore time, Valda shared their plan, whilst Tevin and Kelraz scoped out the rest of the tunnel.

"Looks clear until the castle's first level. After that, I can't guarantee anything." Tevin said when he'd returned.

Valda nodded her head. There would be no guarantees today.

"Artair, where is he keeping my Mom? We need to get her before the equinox apex." Valda rushed out as they made their way down the corridor.

"There is a room in the north tower filled with old artifacts. Apparently Lorcan is obsessed with it, he never leaves. He'll keep her with him until he knows the castle is safe."

"Halt!" Voices rang out, making Valda jump.

Armed warriors ran from surrounding corridors and Artair's men leaped into action, ripping tapestries from the wall in lieu of weapons.

"Valda, you need to go." Tevin shouted at her, engaging in a fight with one of Lorcan's men. "Get to Lorcan. We'll get the gates open."

"Tevin-"

"GO!" He roared, impaling one warrior with his sword and kicking another.

Dusk grabbed Valda's hand and together they ran. When they came to the first corridor Dusk paused, but Valda pushed the door aside. Between Tevin, Mauve and Carrick, she had the castle's layout mapped in her head.

They ducked in and out of corridors as more warriors ran to defend the castle. A squeak behind them made them both jump and swirl around. A girl no older than Etna stood in front of them, a basket of clothes slipping out of her hands.

Before either Valda or Dusk could say anything, the girl grabbed both their hands and pulled them down the corridor. "Quickly in here."

She pulled them into a room where more women stood staring out of the window. They gasped when they saw Valda and Dusk.

"She said you would come." An elderly woman hobbled from the fire, her gnarled hands reaching up to touch Valda's face. "You look so much like her." The woman blinked tears out of her eyes before snapping back around. "Bring the uniforms, quickly."

The maids snapped into action, some rushing from the rooms, others digging through the cupboards.

"Queen Orlaigh made sure all the servants were ready. And we are, that tyrant had better hope to not meet the sharp end of my stick."

The little girl returned quickly with two large maid's uniforms.

"They'll be big, but you'll be able to move through the castle quicker this way."

Valda turned towards Dusk. "Can you wear them with your wings?"

Dusk rolled her eyes and picked up the first uniform, slipping it on over her own armour. Valda quickly followed suit.

The door rushed open. "The rebels have breached the gate. Lorcan's forces are attacking."

Everyone paused before rushing back into action.

"You must go. Spirit of Adiocion be with you, child." The woman pressed her hands over Valda's chest before Dusk was dragging her back out of the door.

The once empty corridors were filled with chaos. A combination of servants and warriors rushed frantically from place to place.

Their disguises may have been ill fitting, but no one noticed them as Valda and Dusk dashed through the corridors.

Warriors paid them no mind as they ran past them, all too focused on the coming battle to worry about two errant maids. By the time they found the north tower, they could hear crashes throughout the castle. Their invading army was making themselves known.

Multiple steps later, and they were at the door. Valda didn't even have to question if she was in the right place. The dark magic seeping from under the door told her that Lorcan was just metres away from her.

Dusk went to touch the doorknobs, but Valda quickly pulled back her arm. "Don't touch it, it's spelled."

Dusk nodded, though her eyes darkened dangerously. "I can't sense Fae magic so well," she admitted.

Valda nodded, she too had the same difficulty with Fairy magic.

Closing her eyes, she focused on the doors, finding it almost too easy to pick the spell apart. Her breath rushed out as the spell dissipated uselessly around them. It didn't feel right that an accomplished magic wielder such as Lorcan would have created such a clumsy spell. A feeling of dread pooled in her stomach, but she pushed it away.

Dusk and Valda looked at each other, sharing a silent moment, before they flung the doors open, ready to face Lorcan together.