Page 10 of Red Queen

“Summon the commanders of my legion,” I say. “Tell them to ready their forces without drawing attention. When we move, we’ll move under the cloak of night, unseen, unheard.”

“Consider it done, General,” Ivan responds, his presence a constant, unwavering force beside me. “And Eleanna?”

“Find her.” I nod in the great hall’s direction. “I’ll be in there, talking to our guests.”

I’m aware our actions are a delicate balance of power and secrecy, each step measured, each word spoken with intent. The bonds of loyalty that tie us together are the only certainty in a world that teeters on the brink of upheaval.

The memory of Eleanna invades my thoughts, her image flickering like a ghostly flame against the backdrop of my mind.

Her sharp laughter reverberates through memories—the way it would fill the air after a particularly cruel jest or decision. A shiver runs down my spine, an involuntary reaction whenever I recall the pain she could inflict so effortlessly.

Yet, amid the hurt, there were moments of searing heat, where passion flared brighter than any sun. Her touch, both fire and balm, had once ignited a blaze within me that no winter could quell. The dichotomy of tenderness and torment that defined us leaves me grappling with a longing that has no place in the heart of a warrior.

“General?” Ivan’s voice pulls me back from the precipice of memories best left undisturbed. “Do you have any other orders?”

“I’m fine,” I say. “The defenses have been fortified and the council are here, too. I’ll talk to those amassed.”

“Then I’ll send out the orders and join you.” He nods and strides away.

The large heavy doors beckon but I don’t immediately enter. I need to work things carefully. Last thing I want is to incite the full-on war. Let that come from Catarina.

With a breath I open the doors and step in, the room falling silent.

“I am General Alexandru Amanar”—defender, strategist, vampire—"and though the storm of war looms, we will crush it.”

A tangle of voices rise and I lift my hand. They cease.

“You noticed every warrior is armed and ready, and I expect yours to do so, too. Catarina has unleashed chaos and we’re on the precipice of full-on war. But the battle will be waged with intelligence, and right now we wait.”

“General, I say we strike,” a nobleman says. I forget his name. “Now, while we can, before she gains more troops and power.”

I nod, letting the murmur of voices crash and roll. Then I speak. “War isn’t about might. It’s strategy, timing, and smartplay. Right now, we watch and wait. And when we have a better lay of the land we strike. So, rest up. And we’ll reconvene this evening.”

I head out as Ivan arrives. He joins me as I leave the great hall.

“Short,” he says.

“But bittersweet. There is no point repeating myself with each arrival.” I turn to him. “We make sure no one leaves for now.”

“Done, General.”

We both go to the war room. Right now, we need the bones of a plan to bring up to the others. And we’ll do that tonight. I cast an eye over the maps sprawling across a massive table, land marked by conquest and blood. I trace my fingers over the terrain, every valley and peak memorized, etched into my mind as deeply as my own scars.

Ivan locks his gaze on the map. “To victory, General Amanar.”

“To survival,” I correct him, my eyes not leaving the map. “Victory implies we have something to win. We’re fighting to avoid losing everything.”

Our preparations progress to the point we share with the gathered vampires; weapons are distributed, strategies discussed, and contingencies planned with the group.

No word comes of Eleanna’s whereabouts, but that doesn’t stop her inhabiting my mind. The image of Eleanna—her fiery hair and fierce blue eyes—burns at the edge of my consciousness, a ghostly flame with the power to either save or scorch my soul.

“Eleanna may yet play a role in this,” I murmur, half to myself. “If we find her.” Then I make myself say it. “What if I’m wrong and she didn’t make it out alive…”

“I am sure she has, and you know it.” Ivan says. “She is...”

“Complicated,” I finish for him, my voice steady despite the warring emotions inside me. “But necessary.”

“I was going to say tenacious.”

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