Someone had markedhisqueen.
He hissed, and she shifted slightly away from him. Neve caught her round hip in his hand to hold her still, his claws flexing at the familiarity of the gesture. Why was everything about her so perfect? He forced himself to climb to his feet to clean the rag and then sped back to her side. The bite would need stitches.
“I am coming inside,” Olwen called.
Neve snarled and pulled Lia farther onto the bed and into his lap. He wrapped her around him until she was straddling him and placed his back to the entrance. No one deserved to see her like this. He peered over his shoulder when the commander stepped inside.
He held no weapons. Just worry in his face. “How is she?”
“She needs stitches.”
“I’ll send for thenonnae.”
“Nonnae,” Lia whispered, pulling his attention back to the woman he’d curled himself around. She peered up at him, some of the emptiness draining away—a bit of true emotion shining through. “They’re coming.”
Neve frowned, brushing a strand of hair from her bruised cheek. “Who is coming?”
“Thedimedons.” Fear filled the air.
She started to shake in his grasp. Lia placed both of her palms on his chest, regret creasing her brow. “I need you to listen. Haunts attacked us in the mountains. They wore silverdimedonpins, and they...” she closed her eyes and swallowed hard before opening them again. “They are coming.”
“Haunts?” Olwen asked.
“Pointy teeth,” she answered.
Neve froze. The only clan of frost giants with teeth like that were… the Northerners. Blood and curses, why had Warrin sent help through the mountains? He wouldn’t have. An ambush.
“Where?”
She shook harder, her breaths coming in more pants, sight unfocused. He set the rag down and cupped her cheeks, attempting to bring her back from whatever hell she was slipping into.
“Where, Dahlia? This is important.”
“The mountains. I could see Mizar when they found us.”
The woman who had destroyed everything had most certainly just saved their lives.
“Olwen?”
“I will assemble the men now.” His commander sprinted from the tent.
A battle was coming. One that would cut deep.
Chapter Twenty-Five
DAHLIA
Dahlia hadn’t slept,despite the deep bone fatigue.
The massive rumbling giant wrapped around her all night hadn’t helped. Every time she’d moved to get space, he just pulled her back into his warm embrace with a discontented growl. It wasn’t what she expected. Tears heated the backs of her eyes, and she blinked them away. While she could practically taste his anger, he had not been rough with her at all. Even though part of her felt like she deserved it.
The explosions in the distance didn’t help either. They shook the mountains, making it feel like they were going to topple down on top of them. What was going on up there? Was Olwen winning or losing?
A lick of fear ran up the back of her neck at the idea of the monsters winning. What would life be like for humans and halflings if such a sect ruled the kingdom?
The lanterns had well since burned out, and the woodstove glowed with the tiniest of embers, leaving the tent shrouded mostly in darkness. Neve’s breaths tickled the top of her head,moving the loose hair that had fallen out at some point. Her whole body ached, and while she found she wanted to sink into the Frost King’s heat, Lia wouldn’t allow herself that comfort. All too soon, this fluke of geniality would be stripped away, and if she gave in, it would hurt all the more when it was gone.
“I can feel your thoughts,” Neve said, his deep voice leaving goosebumps along her arms.
