Page 122 of The Threadbare Queen

The soldiers in the front line stared at him, wide-eyed.

They would think he was wearing protective armor beneath his cloak, and in a way, they were right. His woolen tunic, thanks to Ava,wasthe protective armor.

“I didn’t order that shot.” Hurst lifted both hands. “I was standing here the whole time.”

“Hear that?” Massi called out to the soldiers in front of them. “He’ll let you dangle for that, pretend he didn’t tell you to take a shot if Baclar looked like he was actually going to live.”

“Enough. We need to attack them now.” Hurst stepped back behind the line, away from the aim of Massi’s bow, although his voice was still clear. “We need to secure Jatan’s future, and we can’t do that if we’re in debt to Kassia.” He raised his voice. “They were the ones who attacked us first, remember?”

“That regime has passed,” Luc said. “We’re the reason the Kassians withdrew from your border to begin with. Do you really want to go to war with us and the rest of the region over Hurst’s revenge for his father’s death and his personal pursuit of power?”

“Don’t listen to him.” Hurst’s voice rose even higher. “This is our enemy, and we outnumber his army two to one. If we fight now, we won’t have to fight again later.”

Luc looked over at Baclar, waiting for him to say something, but the high-general was still coughing, hanging his head as he tried to draw in breath.

He felt the touch of a hand on his own, and angled himself toward the shadow beside him.

Ava leaned up against him, going up on tiptoe to reach his ear. “I’ve done what I can, but I’m not at full strength.”

Again, he sensed she was thinner, less substantial than she’d been before. He turned to face the Rising Wave, so the Jatan wouldn’t see his lips move. “How did you get here? Is there another unit in the area?”

“No.” She turned with him. “I came with Taira and Deni, but that’s all. It’s a long story.”

They were going to have to fight. He sensed it in the tension behind him.

The Jatan knew they had caught themselves in a trap.

It would be easier for them to simply throw themselves into a battle they thought they had a good chance of winning, and pretend it was inevitable if they ever had to justify it to their leaders back in Jatan.

Except Luc thought the Rising Wave would win.

They were Cervantes, after all, and they were rested, fed and angry.

They had the advantage, although the Jatan didn’t realize it.

But there would be losses and Luc was tired of losses. He was reluctant to engage when there was a peaceful way out.

“Ava, go hide in the woods.” She was a superb fighter, but he had the feeling she wasn’t as capable as she had been when she’d been beating her Venyatux friends in ring fights every night for sport. Not with the delicate feel of her body against his right now. Birdlike and fragile.

“I won’t leave you.” She murmured the words as she stood beside him, turning to face the Jatan again.

“If you stay safe in the woods, you can help with the healing when it’s over. And there will be plenty of healing to do.” He heard the grimness in his own tone.

She held still, then sighed. “I am invisible. I’m not up to my usual strength, but I’ll stab the Jatan in the back, or even in the front, if I get the chance.”

“Ava.”

“I’ll make myself small and no one will know I’m here. I won’t hide while everyone else fights.” She brushed her lips against his neck—all she could reach without him bending down—and that would just look strange to those watching him. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll go stand near the Jatan councillors, keep an eye on them.”

He acknowledged the wisdom in that. “Their survival would help us,” he admitted. “But be careful.”

“Always.” Her fingers squeezed his hand and then he felt her leave. He ached where her body had pressed, warm, against his. He wanted to call her back, to tell her not to take any chances, but there was no way to do that.

“Luc.” Massi was watching him. “All right?”

He moved toward her. “Ava has done what she can to purge the poison,” he murmured to her. “She’s going to stay hidden and watch over the Jatan councillors, Baclar and Tuart. We can’t move them without Hurst using it as an excuse to attack. But you and your team should go to the back of the line. You haven’t slept in a day’s cycle. If you have to do something, organize the archers. Delegate.”

Her eyes had dark bruises under them. “I’ll get my team to the back, but I’m not going to sit and bark orders, Luc.” She rubbed her eyes. “I am tired, but there will be no rest for me while we’re under attack.”

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