Sidrick took a half-step forward. “Tarrin is right.”
The sound of my now-racing heart filled my ears, my magic readying to protect me. I unconsciously took back the distance between Summer’s third commander and myself, pinning Caius with my mounting ire. “Explain.” The single word was a cold, quiet demand I didn’t recognize.
Calmer than the situation dictated, the High Lord leaned back against his desk before he answered. “As my commanders, Artton and Sidrick have pledged an oath to me, which magically binds them against divulging court secrets.”
“Meaning information can’t be tortured out of them,” Tarrin said, running a hand through his hair.
“What does that change?” I asked.
“Everything,” Tarrin answered.
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, it’s a common misconception that the strongest armies win wars,” he explained.
Brows pulling together, I said, “Then what does?”
“Information,” Artton and Tarrin said in unison, both of them looking at each other annoyed. Gods forbid they agree on something.
Thaddeus’ second—if that’s what he still was—faced Caius. “Why sanction a deep recon mission when you could just ask me?”
“Because,” Artton answered, “there’s only one of two reasons we’d find your sorry ass in Father Death’s clutches. Either you’re a plant?—”
“Or I was no longer trusted.” Tarrin sighed.
The summer fae tapped his nose twice, and there was no humor in it. The message was clear—either way, he wasn’t trusted, by anyone.
“Then if you don’t think Tarrin offers any value, why bring him with at all?” I asked.
“On one hand,” Artton leaned in, then whispered, “I’m hoping they’ll finish the job.”
“Artton,” Caius warned.
He threw his hands up in afinemotion before continuing as if he wasn’t interrupted. “On the other hand, the human knows the inner workings, schedules, and layout of where Thaddeus and Wymond reside better than any of us. He’s also patrolled the court a lot, including knowing how to navigate the Wildwoods. In other words, he’s our tour guide.”
“Do the two of you have any other concerns?” Caius said, addressing Tarrin and me.
Knowing I was clearly outmatched in this, deferring to Tarrin. “Just equipment, supplies, timelines, and roles,” he said without hesitation.
“Timeline,” Caius began, “is up to you. You’ve only been awake for a little over twenty-four hours after surviving fatal wounds.”
“Myron left some tonics to help with my muscle recovery and said that if I trained hard for two to three days while taking it hourly during, I’d be back to my previous form.”
Sidrick nodded in agreement. “There was a notable improvement in his stamina and strength between each session this afternoon. Ibelieve he’ll be in fighting form same time tomorrow if we train heavily between now and then.”
“Okay, then,” Caius said. “As I’d prefer for anyone who may have to protect Nyleeria to be at their best, take two more days to train, one for us to finalize things and for you to rest. Then, you’ll leave.”
Feeling the tone shift, I took the others in and could see all three of their warrior masks slip into place.
“Tarrin, you can meet with Yonic, our Weapons Master,” the High Lord said. “Sidrick will introduce you to him before your next training session. I’ll ensure he’s aware you’re coming and that we’ll need a quick turnaround. As for roles, it’s simple. My chain of command will be respected. Is that understood?” Caius didn’t shift from where he half-sat against his desk, but stars could he pull rank with a look alone. One that bored through Tarrin.
He dipped his chin. “Understood.”
Then the High Lord shifted to me, and I had to stop myself from making myself smaller under his commanding focus. “That goes for you too, Nyleeria. Spark or not, chaos will get you all killed.”
I swallowed before nodding. “I understand.”
“Good,” Caius said, clapping his hands and standing up. “That covers everything. Kai will ensure you all have packs filled with supplies by the morning. If you require anything else, just ask her, and we’ll make sure you have it before you leave. Dismissed.”
