A pause made my stomach drop. I stared at Barracus’s tense gaze.
“The post estimated about ninety, maybe more,” he said.
Silence fell. My brows shot up.
Only yesterday, Gwinifer had reported seven of the creatures. Tonight, the number of Wraiths was so much higher. Barracus stood even more rigid than usual. Gwinifer seemed solemn as they both briefed Cerridwen, Finnegan, and me.
“And he went alone?” Cerridwen asked, her eyes widening. “Why?”
“Because he is colossally arrogant,” Finnegan answered dryly, pressing his fingers to his temples.
“He plans to summon the outpost around the area they attack,” Barracus explained. “It could still be a distraction, meant to pull most of our defences to the eastern border and leave a gap somewhere else for them to exploit.”
“Barracus, ninety. Ninety,” Cerridwen said in wide-eyed shock, shaking her head. “Damn your reasons. You should have called every patroller to that place. You and he were reckless to think that this was an acceptable choice. What if he doesn’t come back?”
“Then I’ll find and murder him myself,” Gwinifer said, pushing away from the table.
“He won’t go up against them himself,” Barracus added. “He is trying to see where they go and how they behave. There is a purpose to the way they are moving, and we need to figure out what it is.”
The dining room was tense.
Reagan had left hours ago, apparently right after receiving the report. He had spoken only with Barracus before he left. I wondered if it was because his commander was the only one who would go along with this plan.
Gwinifer was more annoyed than I had ever seen her, though in her case, annoyance could easily mean worry.
Deeper lines were etched across Barracus’s forehead today.
My heartbeat pounded in an uneven rhythm, their concern likely bleeding into me.
They had a reason for it. This was a far larger horde. Reagan’s life might be seriously endangered.
I had never seen a Wraith before, only read about the revenants in that book. It seemed impossible for one person to keep track of ninety of them.
“Has he ever faced that many before?” I asked.
“No. No one has,” Finnegan said, his brows drawing together as he turned to Gwinifer and Barracus. “I didn’t think therecould be so many like that. Can we send a squad with him to track them?”
“He doesn’t want that, Atkus,” Barracus replied. “It would draw attention, and then they would attack. He didn’t warn you because you and Wicklow should stay here and protect the city. We have it under control.”
“The already patrolled and warded city?” Finnegan scoffed. “There are so many battle mages here. Gwin and I could help him more effectively there.”
“If I could find him, I would already be gone,” Gwin muttered. “He made it impossible to track him. Fool.”
A sharp headache pulsed at my temples.
Gwinifer drew a deep breath. I could see Cerridwen’s murderous glare aimed at Barracus.
“So, what do we do?” Finnegan asked, staring inquisitively at the staff. I followed his gaze.
Cerridwen pressed her lips together as she returned the look. “We wait.”
???
Three days had passed since Reagan had left.
With each passing meal, the staff grew quieter. When we gathered, only the barest, most practical pieces of information were exchanged.
A habit I had abandoned long ago resurfaced, one I’d had as a young girl, back when I struggled more with sleep. I picked at my nails, tugging at the edges until thin ribbons of skin peeled away. It was the excess of worry in the room that had done it. It had happened before, yet I hadn’t expected their concern to pull me back into that old compulsion.
