I grit my teeth as I reel in the heat escaping from me. Much as I hate to admit it, Lana is right; the Sun God’s powers are not appropriate to use right now.
“We expect you to join us in our Chambers after breakfast for a meeting. Corvin has already been informed, as have the other military leaders in the nearby towns. They should be arriving before long.”
That raises an alarm in me, though I keep my mouth shut for the time being.
Why would the other generals be arriving so soon? Some of their towns lie more than a day’s journey away, even at a wolf’s pace. That means the Elders have known about these attacks for much longer than they claim, and I wonder how fresh the blood on those tails really is.
I wonder if such an aromatic breakfast wasn’t chosen for the express purpose of hiding the scent from me.
The Elders give me an hour to get sorted before the meeting, which may seem like a lot of time for some, but I had barely found Hugh and Sym and apprised them of the morning’s events when the meeting bell tolled.
My two faithful guardians join me as I march on the Elders’ Chambers. Servants scatter left and right at the sight of the three of us, and I can imagine we make quite an impression: Me in my rage, and the two of them equally livid, striding with purpose to our destination.
By the time we reach the Chambers, most of the generals have already arrived. In addition to Corvin, there’s stoic Bram, hotheaded Niles, and skeevy Vic, who never fails to lock onto me with an unnerving gaze. Even the aged Fizz, almost an Elder in his own right, made it. The only one we seem to be lacking is Lann, though his is the farthest town, making it likely that he’s still on his way. Our territory spans leagues, covering most of the continent.
Corvin greets me with a flourished bow. “My lady. Pleased that you could make it.”
I bite my tongue to keep from making a snide remark. “Of course. Something like this demands my attention.”
“It demanded your attentionbeforewolf lives were lost,” Niles mutters under his breath, though in the vast Chamber his voice resonates. “Now that four lives have been ended, you swoop in like the avenging angel, though it is all too little, too late.”
Before I can retort, Vic steps in. “Mind your tongue, Niles. She is our future queen.”
I should be grateful that he’s standing up for me. Instead, my skin crawls at the way he says, “our future queen.” Like there’s a slime dripping off his words. I’d rather be run over the coals with Niles than have Vic within arm’s reach of me.
“Had I been informed prior to this morning’s breakfast, I assure you, I would have intervened.” I turn to the dais to address the Elders. “So, Kryos, Lana, Tirin, do you have any information on the whereabouts of these bandits? I’d like to know where I’m headed.”
Tirin speaks first. “All we know from those who have survived attacks is that they appear from the nor’eastern woods, moving in shadows and striking without warning.”
“Their number varies, with reports of anywhere from two assailants to twelve.” Lana sits back and steeples her fingers. “Hence our caution. If we were to send you alone to meet such a number, even the power of Solari couldn’t save you.”
“So you withheld information.” I meet her steely gaze evenly, unafraid to confront despite my current lower standing. “I guess you don’t trust me to make my own decisions?”
“Watch your tongue, Cara.” Kryos scowls at me. “Your ascension is weeks away yet.”
My hands clench into fists at my sides, though I keep my mouth shut. Arguing won’t get the bandits eliminated any faster, and my nerves grate at their snobbery. Some days I almost get the impression that they don’t want me to ascend to the throne. I suppose with it sitting empty for ages now they’re having trouble coming to terms with the eventuality of losing the power they’ve held for so long.
That might be a problem.
Before anyone else can get snarky, Corvin steps forward. “I propose that Cara and I lead the excursion into the woods to find these brigands and rid the people of them.” He sweeps the room with his gaze, challenging everyone. “We will take a small contingent of my soldiers, as well as her personal guards.”
Niles reddens up to his ginger hairline. “We should accompany you. Send our best.”
To my surprise—and likely everyone else’s—Bram speaks up. “It would be folly to deploy all the wolves’ generals for this. Should we be defeated, all our leadership would be lost.”
Kryos growls, and his eyes take on an amber glow. “Notallour leadership.”
Bram appears unfazed by the Elder’s aggression. “Enough of it, then. With our armies lacking leaders in the field, the panthers could attack at any moment. I think Corvin’s plan holds wisdom. Send a few warriors with him and the Suntouched, rid ourselves of the bandits, and move on with life.”
Tirin slams a fist down on the arm of his chair. “And risk losing Cara and her gifts to them?”
“I meant no disrespect, Elder.” Bram nods in deference to Tirin. “I merely suggest we give her a chance to dispatch the panthers herself before making hasty decisions like sending all of our generals or mobilizing half the army.” He casts a sideways glance at Niles, as though he suspects that to be Niles’s next suggestion.
“We’ll take a dozen men with us. One for each of the bandits. That, combined with Corvin’s and my presence, should suffice.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Is that acceptable to everyone?”
That seems to placate them—for the moment, at least. Even Niles begrudgingly grunts in agreement, though I can tell by his sour expression that he doesn’t consider the matter closed. I suspect he’ll have much more to say on it after we get back.
Preparations don’t take long; it’s a brief hour before we have our party armed and ready to go.
