Anxiety shot through Killian. He didn’t like where Stark was going with this.
“The place was rigged, your highness. It’s a trap. Silvercreek knew we we were coming.”
“What?” Killian yelled.
Stark sounded calmer now that he had delivered the news. Or maybe, Killian thought, he was just resigned. No, Stark would never give up without a fight.
“I don’t know how they knew,” Stark continued. “But this is the situation as it stands now.”
Killian got up, his blood pounding. “I’m going to organize a rescue party right now, and—”
“No!” Stark cried, so forcefully that it stopped Killian in his tracks. “No, your highness. Forget about us right now. There are bigger problems you need to worry about.”
“What does that mean?” Killian snapped.
Stark paused. Killian could see the guard’s face in his mind, his jaw tightened and eyes hard from the news he was about to deliver.
“Silvercreek took our trespassing and rescue mission as a threat,” Stark said slowly. “They’re using it as an excuse to attack.”
Killian’s eyes widened as he understood the meaning of Stark’s words.
“They’re on their way to Whitewood territory as we speak.”
