I finally drag the words out of me, weighed down with dread. “Ranhold is lost.”
She and Warken jump to their feet. “What?”
“By the time our Elites arrived, the fae had already marched on the walls. They breached it within minutes. Ranhold wasn’t ready.” My eyes meet theirs. “It’s been overtaken.”
Osrik curses under his breath, his entire body gone tense.
“What about our Elites and the captains? King Thold?” Isalee questions.
“Lu said they all tried to search for survivors in the city, but it was just like Highbell. Completely overrun.”
She covers her mouth as horror pools in her eyes. Warken sits back down, like this devastating news has taken away his ability to stand. No one speaks for a moment as this realization settles in. It slices through the room with bloody shock, leaving an open wound I’m not sure how we can bind.
We were supposed to have time. To be able to get our Elites there, both Thold and Slade, to prepare Fifth to fight.
Now, Ranhold is lost, and so is Slade.
“If the fae have already taken Ranhold…” Isalee begins, trailing off with a shake of her head.
“What’s their plan?” Osrik asks.
“She said Judd and Digby are going with King Thold and his Elites to Fifth Kingdom’s port at Breakwater. They’re going to try to cut off the fae’s access to the ships. Otherwise, the fae will board them and have a clear shot at getting to First, Third, and Second Kingdoms by sea. It’s imperative we get to the port first and get rid of the ships so the fae can’t use them.”
“But the fae could still march into Fourth and then Third,” Warken says.
My fists tighten, anxiety tensing down my limbs. “Lu left so she can try to head off any of the fae who branch off toward Fourth’s border.”
His eyes widen. “She’s going by herself?”
“She’s taking a few Elites with her. But it’s not nearly enough. Which is why I need to leave with a small contingent immediately to meet her.”
“I’m going too,” Osrik states. When I open my mouth to argue, he shakes his head. “No. We’re going. We’re not leaving Lu alone to deal with them. These fae are fucking Orea right up the ass, and now, we’ve got no clue where Slade is. We need to go.”
My mind starts working, looking for solutions, figuring out strategies. Everyone watches me in silence, waiting for me to speak.
I feel the threat of despondency creep in. Of hopelessness.
But I refuse to give in to that. There has to be a way we can hold them off. Has to be something we can do. And with Slade missing, it’s up to me. With Sixth and Fifth taken, it’s up to Fourth.
Resolve stiffens my shoulders. “Alright,” I finally say, looking at the Premiers. “There’s no point in mobilizing the army. With how quickly the fae are moving, we wouldn’t get to our borders in time.”
Dread weighs as much as a stack of bricks, but we can’t be in denial. This is what’s happening, this is the situation we’re in, so we have to face it.
“We prepare for a siege,” Warken concludes.
I tip my head. “Alert the neighboring cities and villages now. Get everyone here to Brackhill. Fill the castle, the city, the barracks, whatever is necessary. I’ll alert the army and give orders to the lieutenants and the other captains. They’ll answer straight to you. We’ll lock Brackhill down. Make the fae come to us, let them tire. We’ll use our walls and our territory to our advantage.”
I look to Osrik, and the tension of what’s to come ropes between us. We’ve been leading our soldiers and defending Fourth together for years, but we’ve never faced a threat like this. Never had to do it without my brother.
“Osrik and I will take only as many soldiers as we can carry in the pannier between our two timberwings. The other handful of timberwings we’ll leave here, just in case they’re needed for retreat.”
“No,” Isalee says. “Take them. Take more soldiers with you.”
“But if the fae breach Brackhill—”
“Warken and I are not abandoning Fourth Kingdom,” she says fiercely, her brown eyes growing watery as her hands twist in front of her. “We don’t need the beasts for retreat. Take them.”
I hesitate for a moment, but the firm set of her jaw tells me it’s moot. “Fine, but we’ll still leave you with four, and extra panniers. Just so you can get citizens out if things turn dire.”
