“We don’t post them here. Our people won’t be traveling to the south due to unrest. It will be safe to post them there. Plus, they can speculate all they want. The truth is that the humans have invaded and are blaming us for the queen’s death. That should take up most of their attention at the moment. People rarely look past what is presented to them,” Eyri explained.
“An astute observation,” Neve commented.
Eyri shrugged. “It’s just facts.”
The Haunt huffed. “Fine, but we brand thenonnaeas a traitor.” Flyka traced a line down her cheek. “She’ll be noticed with such distinct scars.”
Neve pursed his lips, some of his anxiety abating. He wasn’t alone in this mess. He nodded to his cousin. “I have some things I still need to discuss with you. Come to dinner tonight?”
Eyri slid his spectacles on again and nodded. “I will be there.”
Neve pushed away from the table and left his friends in the council room. He nodded to Warrin, who fell into step with him along with two warriors. “What do you have for me?”
Warrin cast a glance at Flyka who ghosted quietly behind them—his constant companion since the assassination attempt. The old general turned his attention back to Neve.
“Olwen arrived with another hundred warriors. They pushed the Asterans back south but not completely across the Roan River. Some took shelter in the Sapphire Mines. They didn’t pursue them. Combat in such close quarters is too dangerous.”
The lanterns flickered softly against the shiny black onyx walls as they reached the nearest intersection that led down to the training yards. Neve took a right toward them. He needed to blow off some steam. He felt like he was about to explode.
“Wise. Anything else?”
Warrin blinked his silver eyes slowly and released a long breath. “Humans aren’t the only ones we need to be worried about.”
Neve’s jaw flexed. “The Northerners.”
“Precisely. They weren’t happy about the marriage in the first place, and now with this mess, they want someone to blame. The chieftain’s son is stirring them up.”
“And that someone is me.” He knew this was coming. They’d been fighting him since he was crowned. “What would you suggest?”
“Someone needs to treat with them. Preferably you, but I know that’s not a possibility at this time. They are a threat that needs to be dealt with before it is too late.”
The old general wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t ignore the Northerners. “Then you will go in my place.”
Warrin’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he nodded once in agreement. Always the good soldier. “It would be my honor, sire.” A long pause.
“But?” Neve urged.
“But I’m just an old battle-ax. Eyri is much better suited for diplomacy, my lord.”
“True, which is why I need him here. I will head for the battle front... and soon.” He stopped and clasped Warrin on the shoulder. “The Northerners do not need a soft touch. They need a hammer to the skull. You will be my champion.”
The older giant slowly smiled. “That I can do, sire.”
“I know. Take whomever you need. Squash any challenges. May you be successful.”
Warrin bowed low, his long white braid sliding over his shoulder and almost touching the floor. “And may you defeat the human scourge at their own game.”
Neve bared his teeth in a feral smile. “I chose peace, and they repaid me in betrayal and blood. I will bring vengeance down upon them that their ancestors will feel.”
Chapter Thirteen
Dahlia
The deeper theymoved in Loriia away from the Asteran border, the worse the prejudice became.
Dalia wiped the sweat off her brow and stepped into the cold biting air, making sure to tuck her damp hands into her pockets. Nothing killed quite as quickly as hypothermia in the frost giant kingdom. She’d never quite recovered from her sensitivity to the cold since her plunge into the river all those months ago.
Her breath puffed out in little clouds as she picked her way down the alley and avoided sheets of ice. Dahlia paused at the mouth of the lane and leaned her shoulder against the cold stone building. She tugged her hood lower, making sure to keep her face and hair hidden as she watched the traffic move up and down the road—sledges full of ice gliding down the snowy lane.
