Maybe it was all a dream.
“Things have been stressful lately,” I admit.
“You should rest,” he says, his voice thick with empathy. “Clear your head.”
“I... I should go,” I manage to say as I rise from the bench.
He nods once. “Take care of yourself, Annora.”
As I walk away from him and those strange flowers, Aleksander’s words echo in my mind, mingling with doubt and leaving me to wonder about the Phoenix even more than before.
ChapterFifty-Two
JASCE
I glanceto where Jude sits in the War Room, his head bent in concentration as he sketches a detailed map of Sharhavva on a piece of thin parchment.
Aleksander enters the room, slouches into a chair near me, and tips it back. I stay silent as he reaches for the clay jar next to him and drinks, not even bothering with a goblet. As usual, my younger brother cares little for decorum, preferring to do as he pleases.
Does he not comprehend the gravity of our situation? Asha’s forces will be upon us soon, and here he sits, guzzling spirits like a carefree lord.
Reeve stands by the window, his body as rigid and immovable as the mountains that border our lands.
A guard opens the door and announces Hector, the Chieftain of the Bloodstone. His long cloak billows around him as he strides into the room, his cousin, Cenric, close at his heels.
My brow lifts. “I thought you were sending me legions from your tribe. I didn’t know I would be honored with your presence in person.”
Hector smiles as he moves to sit in the chair near me, his posture relaxed yet poised like the seasoned warrior he is. “Who else could better aid you in safeguarding this city? Having personally breached its defenses, I possess unparalleled insight into its vulnerabilities, which makes me the most adept at advising you on how to fortify its borders against our common foe.” He glances at Cenric, who moved to stand next to Reeve. “Besides...Cenric was bored and eager for a fight.”
Jude looks up from his sketch. “When is Cenric ever not ready for a fight?”
Reeve scrutinizes Cenric. “You must have made yourself at home in Hematite territory to arrive here so swiftly.”
“Maybe we did?” A gentle breeze filters through the window and ruffles Cenric’s hair as he scratches his jaw and shrugs.
I turn to Hector. “Is everything all right along the borders?”
He nods. “Just some nuisance with the Malachite tribe, but we curbed their appetite for attacking us.”
“For now,” Cenric says, his tone laced with frustration.
“I thought you would be home with Sol,” I say to Hector. “Does she not need you there?”
Hector shakes his head. “She’s with me. Sol likes fighting alongside me.”
A hint of amusement echoes in Jude’s voice as he speaks. “Cannot be apart for even a second, can you?”
Hector acknowledges Jude’s gentle ribbing with a slight uptick of his mouth. “Sol is a capable warrior. I would not ask her to remain behind while I march off to battle.”
I look up as someone knocks on the door. One of my best scouts, Rohn, enters. He bows low, fist pressed to his heart in salute.
“Report,” I command.
“I come bearing urgent news, My Lord.” Rohn keeps his head lowered in deference. “I have tracked Asha’s armies. They are less than a day’s ride from our borders.”
Tension tightens in my muscles as I curl my hands into fists. So soon? I had hoped we would have more time to prepare.
“How many?” Reeve asks, as he pushes off from his spot by the window.
