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I pulled away reluctantly, my eyes still locked on Theron’s. “Right,” I said, attempting to regain my composure. “Let’s get back to work.”
Chapter 6
Theron
Ileanedagainstthewarm stone battlements, staring at the black sands stretched before me. The setting sun stained the landscape a deep, bloody red as if foretelling the battle that was soon to come. Pressure settled in my chest, a twin to the exhaustion threatening to overtake me. Over the horizon, a plume of sand billowed like a dark omen, heralding the approach of the Niothe.
“They’re coming.” Herrath’s tone was grim. I nodded, my eyes never leaving the dust cloud. He stood next to me, his angular face marked with deep lines of worry. His armor caught the fading light, glinting in the dusk.
Raenisa, standing on the other side, her back straight and defiant, spoke softly, her voice almost drowned by the desert breeze. “They’re moving slower than I thought. Maybe they’re struggling in the sand.”
I turned to her, her black and scarlet hair whipping around her face. Her fingers absentmindedly played with the silver pendant that hung on her neck. I knew that necklace. It was a sigil of her House and bore their words, ‘No Faith Betrayed.’ She didn’t wear it often, only when she missed her family. That she wore it now spoke to her worry. “They’re probably setting traps, covering their rear, in case we decide to flee,” I explained. “And in the unlikely event that we survive, they want to slow our march to Athain.”
The sound of heavy boots resonated through the stone, and a low growl sounded behind me. Haemir, his broad shoulders nearly filling the space, stared at me with eyes like a forge. “We won’t lose. We’ll wait them out.”
“A siege is a two-edged sword,” I said, weighing my words with care. “The soldiers out there won’t have easy access to water, true, but the longer we wait, the more likely it becomes that the reinforcements across the sea will return and overrun us.”
Haemir’s eyes never left mine, and for a long moment, we stood there locked in a silent battle of wills that had nothing to do with the approaching army.
“So you’re giving up?” The Inferi Remnant growled.
My temper slipped. “I won’t lie about our odds to my commanders. They need to know so we can plan appropriately.” The wind whistled through the spaces between us, carrying with it the scent of Areca flowers as I stepped closer. “I’ve led armies longer than you’ve been alive. If I say our odds are long, it’s not because I’m giving up. I’m saying that I need to find a better angle so I can win. I claimed these people and I will protect them the best I can.”
Haemir watched me before finally nodding, breaking our staring contest to look at the approaching army. “Then what’s your plan?”
I stared as the smudge of dust grew on the horizon, the thrum of my heartbeat echoing through the battlements beneath my feet. “I want our guards to be on the outer walls, in full regalia. Let the Niothe know they’re fighting their kin, not some ragtag rebel force.”
My eyes met Haemir’s once more. “The rebels will guard the inner keep.” It was a show of trust, putting them at our backs, giving them a more defensible position.
Haemir’s eyes narrowed, his voice hard. “I won’t be fooled like my daughter was.”
“Kael isn’t a fool,” I snarled back.
It was Raenisa who spoke up, her tone laconic as she stepped between us. “Actually, Kael’s the one who tricked Theron.”
“You’re not helping, Rae.”
She shrugged. “Just reminding everyone of how this situation started.” She twirled one of her daggers absentmindedly, feigning nonchalance. “It wasn’t Theron who danced into your camp in lingerie.”
“Rae—“ I warned.
“Fine.” Haemir’s gaze remained on me. “I’ll lead the rebels at your back,” he said, his voice heavy with an unspoken threat before he turned, returning the way he’d come.
Herrath let out a low whistle. “You’ve got your work cut out for you, winning him over.”
“I cut his hand off years ago,” I said, my voice weary. “The odds of Haemir ever approving of me are less than none.”
Raenisa’s eyes lit up, a spark of inspiration. “Perhaps we could forge him a new hand?”
I considered the idea before nodding. “I’m not above winning Kael’s family over with gifts.”
“Get a room prepared for her family. And see to preparing the hand,” I told Herrath.
He shifted and appeared to stifle a wince. “Not the best idea since, you know, I tortured Gavril.”
“For Atar’s sake.” Raenisa threw her hands up as she looked at us. “I’ll get the stuff together for the hand and their suite. Herrath, you manage the wall. And don’t fuck it up.”
Raenisa stomped away, her boots echoing off of the stones as she went. Herrath chuckled while I shook my head in amusement at her retreating form before we both turned our attention back toward the army looming on our horizon.
