He was right, we’d done and tried everything and I needed to just sit here and wait for more information.
I picked at my food and anxiously cast glances out the window for the next few hours until two men entered the dining room. A man dressed in all black, but covered in dirt, with a black gauze scarf wrapped over most of his face, entered with a guard. The man unwrapped the scarf from his face and puffs of dust flew into the air around him.
“Samuel. What have you learned?” Zander asked. This must be his spy.
I stood as well as Dawn and we waited on bated breath for him to speak.
Samuel bowed slightly to all of us and then fixed Zander with a troublesome gaze. “My lord, it’s worse than we thought. They have over ten thousand men. An uncountable amount.”
Dizziness washed over me. Ten thousand? Did he say ten thousand?
Zander didn’t saying anything back so I looked over at him to find that he was utterly speechless.
“How many men do we have here in Easteria?” I asked.
Zander swallowed hard. “Two thousand.”
“And how many did you bring that are waiting to help?” I hoped it was another two thousand.
Zander appeared ashamed. “Five hundred. I took heavy losses with the sickness ravaging my land. And we’re still replenishing the troops after reclaiming my kingdom.”
No.
“If ten thousand fae attack this city, what will happen?” I asked frankly.
Zander peered at Dawn and then me. “We will be defeated. They will scale the walls and take the city and the castle. I will be killed and you two will be …” He drifted off and I used my imagination.
“How did they get ten thousand!” Dawn spoke for the first time. She looked to her husband. “There weren’t that many when you drove them out of our kingdom.”
“A lot of them looked like Midlanders,” the spy said.
Zander nodded. “They’ve long been in need of a ruler. Thank you, Samuel. Stay nearby in case I need you again.”
Samuel inclined his head in obedience, and then he and the guard left.
“We aren’t going to let this happen, right?” I asked Zander.
His gaze flicked to his wife and then to her belly for half a second. “You should take Aribella and flee to the north.”
Dawn shook her head. “I have powerful magic. I can help.”
“Me too,” I interjected.
Again Zander looked at her belly. “Dawn,” he pressed. “I think it’s best for yourhealth,” he emphasized the word. “And safety, if you flee.”
I gasped, my gaze snapping to Dawn. “You’re pregnant!”
She gave me a sheepish grin. “Barely. I just missed my monthly bleed a few weeks ago. It’s too early to—”
I crashed into her, hugging her tightly. “I’m so happy for you. Amid all this craziness. This is wonderful news.” When I pulled back, Zander was beaming, they both were.
“We don’t want to seem too happy about things while our people are suffering so please keep this private,” Dawn asked, and Zander stepped over and rubbed her stomach.
“Of course,” I told her. “And I agree, you should flee to the north. Both of you. There is no reason to stay if this war cannot be fought.”
Zander frowned. “And if we did. What about you?”
“I will stay with Stryker.”
