Page 131 of Fate and Flame
She dipped her head and winked at me. “I hear you are the dragon rider.”
“Was,” I answered, following Fen.
Almost everyone had come. Only Umari was missing. Fen and I sat behind the table on the raised platform while everyone else sat in the audience seats, waiting for him to begin. “There’s been news,” he began. “Temir, Gaea please stand.”
Temir looked around and then stood as everyone shifted in their chairs to look at him.
“Ara, Gaea and Wren left for a mission last night,” Fen said, addressing the crowd. “They discovered King Autus’ castle was completely empty. You know him better than the rest of us. Has he gone into hiding, as kings have been known to do in the past, or is he on the move?”
“He wouldn’t go into hiding when he believes himself to be the rightful High King of Alewyn,” Temir said. “He has mobilized.”
“But why does he think he is justified?” Wren asked.
“Because,” the Weaver answered, “his father was from the Wind Court. His mother was a cousin to Coro. Now that Coro has died with no heir, he could claim that territory. He was betrothed to Morwena, who was killed.” She arched an eyebrow at me. “With no heir, he could have a claim if she has no relatives. And as far as the Flame Court . . .” She turned to look at Fen. “Autus has no claim. But he could refuse to acknowledge yours.”
A great wind gust whipped through the room as Greeve disagreed. “Ara killed Morwena. She has more right to claim the sea than he does. As well as the Marsh Court. And he made that claim before Coro was dead.”
“I’ve not come to argue politics. I’m only explaining why hethinkshis war is justified.” The naga swayed back and forth, her serpentine nature showing through.
“All of that aside,” Fen interrupted, raising his hands and gesturing for them to all be seated. “Why is the castle completely empty? Where have the servants gone?”
The door slammed open and Umari walked in dragging two limp bodies behind her.“Because he’s killed them all.” She heaved her prisoners toward the aisle.
“What?” Nadra jumped from her seat. “All of them?”
“That’s what this one said before I knocked him out.” She plopped down into a chair. “I found them trudging across the desert. Thought someone ought to know why.”
I’d seen that same lethal look on my mate’s face enough times to know she had enjoyed the hunt.
“Temir.” Fen gestured to the northerner Umari had indicated.
“Wait,” I jumped to my feet.
How many in this room do you think have good mental shields? You don’t know their abilities. What if one can communicate with the king somehow? We need to contain this.
“Right.” He scratched his head. “We trust everyone in this room obviously, but we don’t know these fae or their powers. Do you recognize them?” he asked Temir, Nadra, and Gaea.
They shook their heads.
“Best take them down, Greeve. We’ll be there in a bit.”
Greeve stood, grabbed one of the fae, and was gone. We waited until he came back for the other. Once they were out of the room, we spoke freely again.
“If we take all of our numbers, the sea fae, the draconians, the rebels, the southerners all of them, how many do we have willing and able to fight?”
“I have two thousand draconians prepared for battle.” Umari stood taller, her chin raised.
“The sea fae total over five thousand,” Kai rose. “But they have said more than three times that many went north.”
The Weaver grew on her stacked coils. “I tried recruiting Coro’s army before we moved south. Rebels have been infiltrating them for months. We were able to bring two thousand soldiers and about the same number of rebels. The rest are held up in the castle right now.”
“Between the rebels that were already here and the refugees, there are at least five thousand,” Sabra tapped a finger to her lip, the wheels spinning in her mind reflected in worry on her pensive face.
“Our own numbers?” he asked, turning to Inok.
“Ten thousand,” he answered.
“Twenty-six thousand total,” I mumbled.
