King Thold nods. “For Orea.”
Commander Ryatt is the first to repeat it, and then they all do. It falls from my own lips too, just as I hear Osrik rumble it out.
Even if we win, we still lose…but we do it for Orea.
For each other.
“We’ve won three battles,” Lu announces, her dark skin streaked with bright blood. “Now, we have to win the war.”
CHAPTER 46
COMMANDER RYATT
As soon as we landat Highbell Castle, Lu hops off and rips down her face covering. “Well, I guess thewhere the fuck did Sladegoquestion is partially answered,” she says. “He’s definitely been here.”
“Yeah,” I say, still reeling at what we saw from the air. There was a huge patch of snow right outside Highbell City that was decimated with rot. The mountain was much the same, and the scent of death seems thicker in the direction of the castle.
Not looking forward to seeing what’s inside.
I leap off the back of Lu’s timberwing as the others land in the courtyard with us. When Lu pets her beast, a pang goes through me. Kitt was a good bird. I hate that her corpse was left in the cold to gather frost. She deserved better.
When all this is over, I’m going to build her a proper pyre, along with all our soldiers back at Cliffhelm. Make them a fucking monument for their sacrifice. Ensure I pay proper respects.
Especially for Maston and Finley, because we owe them everything.
I sent word to Isalee and Warken, making sure all of their remaining family members have more gold than they know what to do with so they’re taken care of.
Judd dismounts his timberwing too, fingers working to unhook the pannier between his and Osrik’s beast. “Did you see that?” he says with an impressed grin. “The whole land was rotted!”
“How could we not fucking see it?” Osrik grumbles before he reaches up and plucks Rissa off the back of his timberwing and sets her on the ground beside him.
“Maybe he’s here,” Judd says, as Digby unbuckles from Judd’s saddle and lands next to him.
The guard starts helping some of the Elites out of the panniers, but I notice he’s pale as a sheet. I inwardly curse myself. I didn’t even consider what it might be like for him or Rissa to be back here. Especially in these conditions.
Highbell is ruined. The whole city charred, the forest burnt to a crisp. Every inch of it empty and rotted. It must be difficult to see it like this.
The castle doors open, and out walks Manu with a couple Third guards. They reached Highbell before us, while the Wrath and I tracked down some stragglers trying to hide.
They were easy pickings.
“How many fae did you have to deal with?” I ask, though I already know the answer.
“Surprisingly…none,” he says, just as Lu comes up to join us. “We spoke to the survivors inside. Apparently, King Ravinger came through and cleared out the city before he and Queen Malina left.”
My attention sharpens. “Queen Malina? The two of them went to Seventh together?”
Manu nods. “That’s what the people inside said.”
“How long ago?”
“I’m not sure how many days exactly.”
Lu’s gaze flicks to the castle behind him. “How many survivors are here?”
Guilt spreads over his face. “About a hundred.”
My guts twist with the implications. Highbell used to be home to hundreds of thousands. Just like Ranhold, the fae have devastated this capital. Wiped out the whole city, taking out entire family lines.
