Page 57 of Heir of Draga

“I cannot believe you did that,” Asher said, pulling her in close. “We all heard you over the cast.”

The attention made her uncomfortable, adding to the pressure that was building inside her chest. If the dam burst Veri knew she wouldn’t be able to stop crying for hours and they still had a lot of work to do. “I was just doing what needed to be done. We’ve had to do the same before when a village was attacked. The Scyrian babe was lucky it was so close to term.”

Veri tried not to remember the other times. Not all of them had been successful.

“The countess?” Asher asked, inspecting the foyer as the remaining warriors cleared the seat and started going through the bodies.

“She’s dead, along with everyone who didn’t evacuate in time,” Sirus reported, leaving his brother with the babe.

Veri had lost family before. If she were better at giving comfort she would try, but that’s not what he needed. Sirus needed a direction, a purpose – a distraction.

“The battle is still raging in the skies,” she said, pulling up the map of their forces. “I’m going to head up and do what I can. You and the forces in the seat clean up the surface.”

Asher nodded. “We’ll finish the fight, and once it’s done we’ll come back to help you clean up and put your family to rest properly.”

Sirus gave them a nod and immediately went to work.

Veri wiped the blood from her hands off and reactivated the gloves. She grabbed her war staff and signaled her legion. “Let’s finish this.”

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