The color drains from Meryn’s face, mirroring the sinking sickness in my gut. “And now we have no one protecting it.”
“That’s correct,” Siegrid responds, eyes fixed on Meryn. “Which is why you will head down to our camp by Weisenstat as soon as possible to join the effort there.”
“You better not be fucking serious.” My voice is controlled, but Cratos’s low growl betrays my outrage.
The Sovereign Alpha’s mouth purses disdainfully as she turns, glaring my way.
“Of course I’m serious,” she retorts. “Meryn can erect Phylax shields—and her capacity is far greater than that of a typical Bonded. We need to renew our strength at Weisenstat as soon as possible, but it might take weeks for us to get enough foot soldiers there. Meryn and Anassa can travel far faster than a quadrant of troops on foot.”
I get to my feet, turning to face Meryn and resisting the urge to reach across the short distance between us and grasp her shoulder.
“My queen, you don’t have to do this,” I say, ignoring the Sovereign Alpha’sangry look. “Your safety is paramount right now, especially in the wake of the assassination attempt.”
I practically can see the wheels turning in Meryn’s head.
“I need to hear the full plan,” she says, turning to Siegrid and Egith. I want to growl in frustration. “Surely you’re not just going to send me down to Weisenstat and hope for the best? We all know that leaving me down at the front lines forever is not a real strategy. Astreona is a threat but so is Killian, and someone needs to rule.”
Siegrid smiles. “There’s that Strategos mind at work. You’re correct. Egith?”
The Strategos Alpha pulls a map forward on the table. “After you build up the defenses at Weisenstat and buy us some time, Strategos and Daemos will run a diversion near Grunfall.” She circles an area on the map with her finger. “We’ll pull the Astreonan forces away from Weisenstat. Hopefully, by the time they move, we’ll have gotten reinforcements into place by you and you can depart for Sturmfrost.”
“Daemos forces?” I ask tersely. “Do you need my command?”
The Sovereign Alpha looks between Meryn and me—so quickly anyone else would’ve missed it. “No, you should stay with the queen. You know your orders, don’t you?” Then she smiles at me sweetly.
Siegrid has never done anythingsweetlyto me in her life.
That calculating bitch. She’s hoping that Meryn will come back from this operation with another engagement bracelet on her wrist.
“Fine,” I grit out, annoyed. I’d throttle anyone who tried to move me from Meryn’s side right now, anyway. “I’ll coordinate with my Beta and my Gammas.”
“I’ll head down toward Grunfall tomorrow,” Egith says. “Does the operation work for you, Your Highness?”
Meryn nods slowly. “Yes, it makes sense. We can’t lose our entire food supply; we’re in dire enough straits as it is. But I’ll want to get back here as quickly as possible to regroup and figure out what to do about… the Rabenfrost situation.”
“So that’s decided,” Siegrid says. You’d have to know her as well as I doto pick up on the smugness lacing her tone. “Hannelore and I will head out toward Weisenstat at first light. Queen Meryn, you should stay at the castle another day, two maximum, to make arrangements for your absence, and then join us as soon as possible. Stark will accompany you—” She looks my way. “Bring Noemi as well, I think. She will be useful in aiding Meryn’s shields.”
The talk turns to equipment and provisions, and I watch as Meryn focuses intently on the conversation, not having much to add but clearly eager to absorb what she can.
As the meeting ends, I linger to talk to Siegrid alone. Meryn gives me a look as she leaves with Anassa, full of meaning that I can’t quite decipher.
Siegrid barely waits for the door to click closed before expressing her displeasure. “Will you proceed to question my decision-making further, Alpha Stark? Or perhaps you, too, wish to defect and abdicate your duty?”
A muscle ticks in my cheek as I stare her down. “What are you playing at, Siegrid? You’re endangering ourqueen. I thought you were desperate to make her family before you disposed of her.”
Siegrid looks at me dismissively. “Don’t be childish, Stark. Surely you cannot believe that I, of all people, would put her in a situation she cannot handle.”
“Handling her powers in training is one thing.” I can’t keep the heat from entering my words now, my anger spiked with concern. “You saw her at the coronation. She has no control, and moreover, she fears what she might do.”
My head pounds. Truthfully, I fear what I mightencourageher to do.
“She has no control over shadebending,” Siegrid says haughtily. “Which she is not being asked to perform. I can assure you she’s more than adept at shielding—in fact, she has remarkable control and range over the power.”
I growl in irritation. “And what of the fact that Weisenstat is an active war zone? If she’s hurt—if weloseher—”
Cratos howls, his pained furor mirroring my own, and Siegrid startles. Then she unleashes a glare at me.
“I assure you, I know far more than you do about what would be at risk if we lost Meryn Sturmfrost.”
