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I shook my head, not understanding. How many ismany?
I didn’t ask them to fight, but they had anyway. And if they took down two ships, then how many could remain? Depending on the ship size, a warship could carry anywhere from three-hundred to five-hundred.
“How many ships?” Finn asked, his hand tightening around mine, the cold seeping through.
The Wraith shook its head, and closed its eyes, bowing its head. An image flashed into my mind. Finn gasped, staggering back. They were showing him, too.
I saw through the eyes of the Wraith. A fleet of ships above. Their hulls looked like dark shadows on the surface of the water. There were so many. As far as I could see, ships dotted the oceans surface. Twenty? Thirty? I couldn’t tell.
Up to the surface she went, following the alpha Wraith, ready to attack, a long crystal-tipped spear in her hands. She broke the surface. It was chaos. There was fire, and ice, and shadow, and lightning. Arrows sailed through the dawning sky, finding their marks in silvery blue flesh.
Thousands. I was looking at an army of at least ten-thousand. I couldn’t breathe—my chest tightened painfully, and I fell to my knees in the water. “Stop,” I said between panting breaths, “Stop!”
All at once the images—thememoryleft my mind and I was thrown back into the present, sputtering and unable to catch my breath. My males surrounded me, trying to help me stand.
“What did it do?” Kade growled, and the Wraiths backed away.
“No, wait!” I called to them, and they halted.
Finn was utterly silent, still standing, his eyes were wide. He didn’t look like he was breathing. “Finn,” I called to him, and he snapped out of the trance-like state.
“Did you see?” he asked me, the weight of what stood against us tainting every word.
I nodded, and turned back to the Wraiths, extricating myself from the others. “I’m alright,” I told them, “I just need a minute.”
I could hardly make sense of the images still flooding my mind. There were Fae on the ships—though few. And Draconians in the sky—though not more than one hundred.
The bulk of the Mad King’s army was made up of men. But not mortal men. They bore strange markings on their heads. A circle within a triangle within another circle. Alchemists. They cast incantations at them, poured potions into the sea. And all around the Wraiths fell, eyes wide in their final moments as they sunk down into the dark.
But how? How had Ricon got them to join his regime? The Alchemists were the ruling race of Emeris. They took power over the Vocari and the Endurans only a century past. Why would they leave themselves vulnerable to an attack on their own lands by sending their army here?
It doesn’t matter,I thought.They are coming. Ready or not.
Even though the Wraiths sank two of their ships, Ricon’s army was still ten-thousand strong. We had no hope of defeating them. The Horde armies totalled five-thousand men. They would outnumber us two to one.
…they will meet land soon… two moons… they make for the north… for the Wastes…
“What is it?” Alaric asked, and I turned to him in a daze.
I shook my head. Not able to bring myself to reiterate what I’d seen. His eyes were narrowed and focused, filled with latent worry. His hands were fists at his sides.
I looked to Finn, who still hadn’t moved. For once he didn’t look like he was trying to solve the problem. And that made it so much worse—morereal.
“Finn,” I said, and he lifted his head, “Tell them what we saw. I need to help her.” I gestured to the Wraith who was sinking lower into the water. Catching a glimpse of a spot on the side of her neck that looked black—as though it’d been charred. They lost four of their pack. And many,manyothers from what we saw.
I couldn’t help them all, but I would help this one. She didn’t have to come back. She wasn’t the one who struck the bargain—that was their alpha. But she did anyway. And that was honorable.
My males didn’t try to stop me as I waded further into the water. The trio of Wraiths hissed at first, recoiling in fear.
“I won’t hurt you. I want to help. I can heal you,” I said to the one who was the most hurt—their new leader. “Please—let me help you.” My heart broke at the sight of them. Afraid. Grieving.
Tears stung my eyes. It was what would become of us if we didn’t think of a way to stop them. My court would fall. Families would lose loved ones. It would leave us broken and bleeding when he was through with us.
No.I would find a way.Wewould find a way.
“Please,” I repeated, standing near the edge of the underwater embankment.
The Wraith came closer, it’s glowing blue skin shimmering dully beneath the cold, dark water. Its movements were jerking—hesitant, but it came near, and I bent low so I was at eye level with the strange, beautiful creature.
