The young umbrae hastens toward the door we entered through.
Tempest gestures deeper into the compound. “This way.”
As if headed for a royal ball, Thane hooks his elbowinto hers as they lead us through another guarded gateway and into a training facility the size of two football fields. There’s a sparring arena, an obstacle course, a strength training corner, and an entire section for weapons training. But the most exciting part to us is the men. Thousands of men. And they are warriors.
“How many?” Damien asks.
“Seven thousand ready to fight,” Thane says. “We gain more every day from the villages, but it takes time to rebuild their strength and train them. Most are starving farmers or shopkeepers who have never held a sword.”
I see the disappointment on Damien’s face, but it’s Warbill who speaks. “Seven thousand is a lot. But we’ve heard New Stygarde has fifteen thousand, some of them the barely grown children of the villagers. Dark elf magic makes them puppets for Nevina.”
“I’m afraid you’ve heard correctly. We don’t know the exact number, but that is the estimate our spies report. They can no longer fit them all in the castle dormitories. They have them in tents on the grounds.”
My stomach roils at the reminder of what New Stygarde is doing with shade children. I need to talk to Damien about my visit with Maeve. I’ve held off because we haven’t been alone in days. Some decisions we have to weigh in private. Some abilities I’m not ready to share openly, even with Warbill, and this is one of them.
“As much as I’d love to finish this tour, I have to rest,” I announce, inviting Tempest’s concerned perusal. “Using my magic these last few days to disguise all three of us has drained my reserves.”
She places her hand on her cheek. “Damien, youshould have reminded me that Eloise’s magic is what saw you across Tenebris.”
Damien’s eyes meet mine, and an entire unspoken conversation passes between us. “I believe the fatigue of traveling has made me careless. Would it be possible for the two of us to rest before the remainder of this tour?”
“Of course,” Thane says. “We’ve prepared a room for the two of you, and one for Warbill as well.”
“Make mine among the other soldiers,” Warbill says solemnly. “I plan to train.”
Thane nods. “Welcome, umbrae. We are grateful to have you. Come with me, and I’ll show you to the barracks. Tempest can take these two to their room.”
I hug Warbill goodbye, and we part ways. “Thank you for making this journey with us,” I tell him.
“You’re welcome, my queen. I’m sure you’d never have made it without me to lighten the mood. Would have slit your own throat with no one to talk to but this one.” He points his thumb at Damien.
Damien gives a slow eye roll. “Don’t strain something reliving your glory days.”
Warbill directs a lewd gesture his way, and then he and Thane disappear through a door in the east corner of the facility.
“I’ll show you to your room.” Tempest leads Damien and me through a network of passageways to a building that must once have been part of an inn. The rooms are opulent suites, with full bathrooms and sitting and dining areas, along with a king-size bed.
“I’ll have your bags sent up. We can speak at breakfast about next steps. We need your leadership, Damien. Now more than ever.” She hugs each of us and then departs.
The door is barely closed behind her when I turn to Damien. “We need to talk.”
“I’ve sensed as much since we left the caravan.”
“I wanted to wait until we were alone.”
His scowl turns into a rippling darkness that courses under his skin and curls off the edges of his form. He prowls toward me until we’re toe-to-toe. I’d be intimidated if I didn’t know with all my heart that he’d never hurt me. “Then talk.”
“We need more soldiers. As big as the resistance is, even with the mountain dwellers, we won’t have enough, not with elf magic involved.”
In a flash, he grips my neck. Not to choke me, but to keep me in place. I lift my chin, holding his diamond-hard gaze. He strokes his thumb from the hollow of my throat to the tip of my jaw. “Do not ask for my permission to return to Jaqual, little bird. Don’t you know that I will give up my crown and let this kingdom fall into chaos before I will ever hand you over to him.”
“I thought you said it was my choice?” I raise an eyebrow, knowing that I’m goading him, but loving the possessive heat I see in his eyes.
“It is your choice. It will always be your choice,” he says through his teeth as if he resents every syllable. “But I willnevergive you my blessing. Had you stayed with him, I’m not sure I could have survived it.” His shadows wrap around me like cool ribbons, binding me, threading us together.
I place my hands on his neck, feeling his pulse. “Don’t you know that you can’t ever trade me or give me away?” I tangle my fingers in his hair, grown long during our adventures. “I don’t stop being yours because I’m in adifferent building, Damien, or on a different world. I will always be your mate at any distance.”
He bends his neck and brushes his lips over mine. “I’d much rather we be in the same space at the same time,” he says in that low, gritty drawl that always reminds me of theshiffof a just-lit match. “The exact same space, at the exact same time.”
