“I’m sure we can make that happen,” he assured before looking over the long line of individuals that were being processed. “Although, right now, there isn’t much to do besides focus on all of the citizens who willingly come to aid us in our time of need. They’re very brave.”
“They are,” I echoed back to him.
There was no doubt in my mind that the citizens under Malakai’s rule would never willingly offer to serve in a war for him. It spoke volumes to how this society functioned and how much the people here loved their home. It made my heart clench at just how different the two empires were.
My gaze moved down the line and past the gates of the castle, observing the many who were signing up for the war. Everyone standing in that line looked so young, which was what stood out to me the most. I knew all of them were adults, and some of them were no doubt vampyres who were older than they looked…but still. When I reached the end of the line that I could see, I caught a glimpse of what I feared seeing. Groupings of men, women, and children, all focused on a single family member or two, walking towards the recruit line. Families. While no one expressed their concern outwardly, offering proud smiles to their family members lining up, I could see the concern and fear in their eyes.
My chest squeezed, not liking that at all.
“Kyella.”
I jolted, realizing that Dakath had stepped away to replace Elijah, who now stood in front of me. His hands gently wrapped around my biceps as he examined my face.
“Yeah?” I asked softly.
“What's wrong?” His eyes darkened as he examined my face.
“So many families will be broken apart, even if it is just temporary,” I whispered.
“Yes,” Elijah admitted quietly, his brow furrowed, clearly bothered by the idea as well. “Yes, they will.”
“I hate this,” I hissed, my jaw tightening. “I hate that Malakai is causing this.”
“If Malakai comeshereand attacks us first, families will be split apart by the attack on their homeland,” Elijah rationalized. “Even though this is hard, the soldiers have confidence in knowing that while they fight, their families are safe at home.”
I knew he was right, but I still didn’t like it.
“There is no winning when it comes to war. Not fully.”
Lives would always be at risk.
Elijah cupped my jaw as he nodded. His voice was solemn as he intoned, “Once Malakai is removed as a threat, our empire will heal and move past the moment. I promise you that.”
My eyes flicked back to the families outside the castle gates as a feeling in my chest expanded—going beyond simple determination when it came to this war.
Wewouldbe victorious. We had to be because I refused to lose any lives to Malaki.
* * *
As the afternoon turned into evening, I realized that something was wrong.Call it a simple gut feeling, or even instinct, but I could sense that there was something off with Dakath. While the man was normally quiet, he had grown progressively so as the day wore on. His energy seemed to have a tired note to it that I didn’t care for.
I also didn’t like that he hadn’t touched the goblet of blood sitting in front of him.
We were currently at a small dinner—just us, the Empress, and her other three advisors—that had been called to discuss how recruit processing went today. Since I wasn’t directly part of the conversation, my mind wandered a bit once they got into specifics about weapons. I found myself reengaging when the conversation moved toward strategy for the war. It was about more than the fact that they spoke of Malakai—I found that the logistics of the war forced my mind to work in a way I had never experienced before.
I think a part of me had worried that Myrin would try to convince me to not be part of the planning. I had already given her every possible detail I could about Malakai, so what other helpful purpose could I actually serve? But no one seemed to feel that way. In fact, it hadn’t even been called into question that I would be part of the conversation. I felt respected in a way I would have never been in Malakai’s empire.
Dakath shifted in his seat, drawing me from my thoughts as I picked up my second goblet of blood and took a sip. Dakath’s gaze was on one of the advisors currently speaking, but he appeared exhausted, even more so as the minutes ticked by. My gaze darted to his goblet again, confused as to why he wasn’t drinking from it. With a start, I realized that I hadn’t noticed just how intently I paid attention to these men until moments like this. But I couldn’t look away, and I knew there was no way I would be able to ignore his unease.
Chapter Twelve
Kyella
Iknew if I was going to get Dakath out of the room with me, without drawing suspicion to us, I would need a really good reason. My gaze flicked around the room, trying to formulate a plan on the fly. As the conversation droned on, I couldn’t think of anything other than my worry for him. Was he sick?
My nails tapped absentmindedly against the glass of my goblet, and out of nowhere, the sound inspired an idea. Grabbing the slim stem, I raised it to my lips and drained the remainder of Elijah’s blood. No one would think anything of me asking to take Dakath from the room to fill my glass once more.
I sipped the last of the blood from my goblet, licking the drop that remained on my lip as I lowered it. I fought the urge to smirk when I noticed Dakath’s gaze tracking the movement of my tongue. Holding my cup up in a silent question to him, I inclined my head and jerked it, hoping he would understand what I was asking.
