We had been flying for twenty minutes already.

  The sunset beneath us was slowly turning into night, the air growing colder, sparks falling from the fiery wings of the phoenixes.

  And suddenly, Mira stopped laughing.

  Her shoulders sank slightly.

  Her voice became quiet—but so serious that even the wind seemed to lose its life.

  — Zen… we need to talk.

  I looked at her.

  She didn’t even turn her head—just stared straight ahead, into the darkness.

  — I’ve received information, — she said calmly.

  — In the capital, demons didn’t appear from alleys, catacombs, or forests.

  — They appeared from the center.

  — From inside the city.

  — As if… out of thin air.

  She exhaled slowly.

  — Do you know what that means?

  I stayed silent.

  Because I already knew.

  — It was a portal, — Mira said.

  The word fell like a heavy stone.

  — And a portal of that level… — she narrowed her eyes, — can only be opened by a high-rank mage. Or a group of mages.

  — Which means…

  — There are traitors among the capital’s highest ranks, — I finished.

  She turned her head for the first time.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Her blue eyes shone—not with joy, but with anger.

  — Exactly.

  — Bought by demons.

  — Or threatened.

  — Or… corrupted.

  She turned back forward sharply.

  — Now listen carefully, — she said in the voice of an older sister, a commander, a woman on whom an entire kingdom rests. — At the Academy, we’ll have to look for their traces.

  — The destruction of the southern army… the attack on the capital… too many coincidences.

  — This isn’t just a demon war. It’s someone’s game.

  I took a deeper breath.

  — Yes, — I said. — I realized it back then… when I was in the epicenter of the capital. Everything happened too fast.

  — But the portal… I felt its surge.

  — It was opened by one of our own.

  Mira nodded.

  — Good.

  — Then I have a question for you.

  — Do you have any suspects?

  I didn’t think long.

  — Levander Dord.

  — And the Reinward family.

  Mira turned sharply toward me.

  — Start with the first one. Explain.

  — Noi Levander, — I said. — You haven’t seen him, but… he’s strange. The son of the chief justice. Too observant. Too calm. During training, he wasn’t really training—he was studying everyone.

  — An illusion mage.

  — Quiet.

  — Watching.

  — Hiding.

  I remembered his eyes—cold, colorless.

  — Sometimes it feels like he knows things no one should know.

  Mira nodded.

  — Illusionists are the most dangerous.

  — They can hide portals, alter perception, mask traces.

  — He should be checked first.

  She paused.

  — And the Reinwards? Why them?

  I sighed.

  — Their village… survived.

  Mira frowned.

  — The only one within forty leagues, — I continued. — Every other settlement—destroyed.

  — Except theirs.

  She snapped her head toward me.

  — You think a deal?

  — I think someone warned them, — I said. — Or protected them. And only someone working with demons could protect against demons.

  Mira ran a hand through her hair.

  — Smart… too smart.

  — And disturbingly close to the truth.

  Then she smirked.

  — You know, little brother…

  — You’ve become more dangerous than before.

  — You think like a strategist now. Like a hunter.

  I wasn’t sure whether to be proud of that—or afraid.

  Mira continued:

  — At the Academy, we’ll have to be careful.

  — Very careful.

  — The traitors already know you survived.

  — And that you’re stronger than before.

  — Which means… they’ll act.

  She looked ahead, where the distant silhouettes of Ostroenna’s towers were beginning to emerge.

  — Ready? — she asked quietly.

  I felt the phoenix beneath me accelerate.

  — Always, — I said.

  Mira smiled.

  — Good.

  — Because this war has only just begun.