Page 57 of The Lost Nation

He was taller than I was, even walking upright on four legs. I had thought the white of our unmated females was the purest form of that color, but his shimmering, iridescent hide proved me wrong. His hooves were large like dinner plates, and pure silver. The horn that sat upon his head was gold, and easily as long as my arm.

“This is Beros.” Conan introduced.

I bowed my head in reverence, and Beros cocked his head to the side as if amused.

If I would have known this would be so dramatic, I’d have made a few more appearances over the years.

Conan snorted, then his face turned worried. “Where is everyone? It is silent all around us.” His eyes closed as he listened. Lykos ears were superior to every other species, so I waited.

“There is nothing." He confirmed. "Even from the inside.”

Beros snorted, stomping one massive hoof that sent a small shockwave through the ranks. Then without warning, he reared up onto his hind legs, sending us scattering. His front hooves slammed into the front gates, smashing them like they were nothing but tinder.

“So much for subtly,” I murmured. Air puffed out of Beros’s nose.If you wanted subtlety, you shouldn’t have asked for my help.

Conan laughed, and we marched forward.

Our units fanned out, covering what were obviously training grounds, damaged parapets, and then finally the heart of the stronghold itself.It was in terrible condition, with many of the halls exposed and open to the elements.

The three of us strode into the main entrance hall, and my face twisted in disgust at the lingering scents of blood and death. White magick floated in the air, and the sigils on my skin twitched.

Then there were thedead bodies, of course.

Not many, but enough to let us know there’d been some sort of struggle. Conan growled as I examined them. “All full-blooded demons, none of the half-breeds.”I remarked.

Beros stomped up behind me, his hooves clicking loudly on thestone floors.

“Would Thad murder everyone who wasn’t a half-breed?” Conan asked. It was a reasonable question.

I sighed. “My queen would tell you no. Besides, there aren’t enough bodies for that. There were far more than six full-blooded demons who lived here. This doesn’t make sense.”

He knew we were coming. He took everyone and fled.Well, not everyoneobviously.

My fists clenched, knowing it was likely he’d taken Xana with him.And the children.

“This makes our job easier then, doesn’t it?" Conan said. "We have no one to fight us as we try to disperse the white magick. We can always hunt them down later.”

Conan's argument made sense, but all I could see was red. I had vowed to rescue Xana, to keep her safe after her ordeal as a prisoner for centuries. Once again, I’d failed her.

“We still need a live demon as a representative. Though I suppose a half-breed would do.”Conan muttered, talking mostly to himself.

Now what?Beros asked. I wanted to slam the wall in frustration, but refrained myself. How were we to know Thad would take the coward’s way out?How had he known to flee?

“Let’s set up camp here, and have the blood witches examine the hole." I advised. "We can reconvene here tonight to see what they've found. Our men can search the entire fortress in the meantime to ensure we don’t have any surprises. Then we disperse the magick as we had originally planned.”

The witches seemed unbothered either way, and waved their hands dismissively in acceptance.

Conan and Beros nodded, and we had a plan. Our forces were quickly dispatched on their various tasks, and I was left alone in the throne room.

Except for Ronan. He'd stayed silent this entire time, watching and observing in the background.I knew that was sometimes his preference, but I had grown used to him speaking freely around me.

“You’ve been avoiding me." I said. "Why?"

Ronan shifted uneasily.“We do not want to disobey you, but we also believe it’s Wren right to tell you. Though to be fair, I don't think she understands yet.”

Oh. So my queendidhave a secret.I could tell by the way she’dlookedat me, as if she had a secret and was disappointed she couldn’t tell me.

Like I had failed a test. Failedher.

---