Chapter 56

Jo and Acker prepare for Wren’s impending assault, stockpiling mangi stones to weaken his control if he appears and organizing a citywide evacuation to the palace. With Beau and Hallis guarding the doors, they take a rooftop vantage, waiting for Wren or Kai while coping with uncertainty and fear.

As catapults batter the walls, Jo, Acker, Zion, and Fredrich monitor the approach. Jo unleashes a contingency: starved, venomous rabbits from Maile. The rabbits sow confusion and death among the front ranks, delaying the breach, but the attackers steadily force openings in the wall.

Irina commands the battlement, coordinating disciplined archer volleys that thin the enemy but cannot stem the tide. When multiple breaches form, Irina escalates: tar cascades down the walls, then is ignited, incinerating mixed Roison and Alaha forces. Jo reels at the human cost, recognizing shared capacity for cruelty amidst war.

With the front collapsing, Irina uses her power to rip air from attackers, killing swiftly as she orders a retreat. Sam appears to cover and pull her back from the battlement, preventing her overextension. Below, melee surges through streets and onto rooftops; Zion and Acker repeatedly repel Roison soldiers to keep their position intact.

Just as they search for signs of Wren or Kai, the battle shifts catastrophically. Giants smash through the city, crushing archers and buildings with brutal swings. One giant grabs and devours archers, signaling a new, overwhelming threat as the chapter ends with the defenders bracing for disaster.