Page 48 of Heart of Defiance

He kneels down, touching my hair. “We can recover from this, Signy. We won’t let them catch us unprepared again.”

But even as his last word fades in the air, the major and the captains march over to address the rest of us survivors. I’ve never seen Major Arlo’s face so grim.

“Good people of Velduny,” he says in a low but resonant tone that carries over all of us. “We’ve put up a good fight. We’ve done more damage to the Darium forces than most would have imagined possible. But in light of the losses we just suffered and the challenges ahead… I feel it’s time to discuss surrender.”

Chapter Eighteen

Jostein

As I watch the officers in their hushed twilight conference, my jaw clenches. Every particle of my being itches to be in there with them, speaking against the surrender, laying out plans of my own. Showing how we can lead the people who’ve believed in this cause to a better outcome.

But I don’t actually know what plan would get us out of this mess. Maybe that’s why I’m over here with the infantry and the civilians, waiting in the growing gloom to hear someone else determine our fate.

Anger smolders inside me despite the increasingly hopeless atmosphere. We can’t give up now. We can’t let all the people who fell to Darium swords and arrows today have died in vain.

It’s hard to keep up my own hope when I stalk back to where I left Signy sitting with Iko, though. Her head has drooped even farther than when I last saw her, her dark hairdrifting across her shoulders and the knees she’s hugging. Her slumped shoulders look unnervingly fragile.

I’ve watched this woman challenge an entire squadron alone. I’ve seen her fight tooth and nail for her home when no one else was willing to.

It always seemed like the strength she radiated was something innate and unshakeable. But she’s obviously shaken now.

While I’ve been gone, Landric has come over to sit with her too, keeping a careful distance opposite Iko. The same anguish I feel is etched all across his face.

I don’t know all the details of what went on between them in the past, but he clearly cares about her. Somehow that both annoys me and reassures me.

This magnificent woman needs all the caring she can get. All the caring she was denied for so long before she took up this mission.

I crouch down on the uneven ground next to Iko, turned to face Signy, but she doesn’t look up. It’s my friend who acknowledges my presence first. “Any news from the bigwigs?”

I shake my head. “They’re still discussing our options. Trying to come up with an offer that’ll save as many lives as possible, I’d imagine.”

What’s to stop the Darium force from slaughtering us all, really? It’ll be easy enough once the rest of their army arrives, which may only be a matter of hours from now.

“Too many people already died,” Signy murmurs in a rough voice.

My heart wrenches. I’m amazed that we made it so long without more initial casualties. She’s never had to face the realities of warfare. She has no idea how much blood ends up being shed even to win.

“We all knew what we were risking when we took up thecause,” I say, as steadily as I can. “I know none of my colleagues would have regretted making the gamble for what we stood to gain. What westillstand to gain.”

A choked guffaw sputters out of her. “Still? We’ve lost. It took them just minutes to murder half of our comrades. They’re only holding back from cutting down the rest of us until we pose even less of a threat than we already do.”

Landric’s stance tenses. “Which means we have time. We started with less than we have now. We started with just the four of us.”

“Taking on a guard post, not an entire army.”

Iko makes a dismissive sound. “It wasn’t manpower that won the battles before this one. They always had us outnumbered. Our wits made the difference.”

“Until they didn’t anymore.”

I reach out to graze my fingers over Signy’s hair. She lifts her head just enough to peer at me between the strands. So much sorrow shadows her normally vibrant eyes that my throat constricts.

I want to tell her how we can win the war after all. I want to point the way and command everyone onto the path of victory.

But that has never been my actual role since I was first drawn into this quest. Signy was the driving force.

I was the one who recognized the potential in her. Who could see how muchshecould accomplish.

Because it’s all I have, I lean into the one certainty my gift gave me. “We’ve had a harsh setback, but that doesn’t mean this is over. We’ve faced setbacks before and come back stronger. You’ve always seen the way through, and I know you can again. All these people are here because you inspired them. You inspiredme.”

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