“Her Most Royal Majesty, Queen Kitaryia Falorn,” a voice announced, and Killian went still, his eyes shifting to the doorway.
A woman in a green leather gown appeared, her dark hair twisted into a complicated series of braids interwoven with a tiara, the tattoo on the base of her skull visible where the hair was freshly shorn, the mark of Hegeria a black half-moon on her forehead. Her face was concealed by the traditional dark green war paint worn by the warriors of House Falorn, and on her nose perched a pair of wire spectacles, the green eyes behind them deeply familiar to Killian. His heart skipped, then sped.
Every man in the room bowed low, murmuring, “Your Grace.”
She surveyed them all, then said softly, “I would hear how best I can serve in our fight against our enemy.”
Showing no care for his already swelling cheek, Hacken approached her and bowed low. “It would be my pleasure, Your Grace.” Taking her arm, he led her to a table containing several maps, but as they walked, Dareena glanced back at Killian from behind Lydia’s spectacles.
And she winked.
52TERIANA
The legions hummed with a different energy, a tensereadinessthat made Teriana feel as though static danced across her body. She wanted to brush it off, to shirk the sensation, but it only grew worse as horns blew and the legionnaires tightened ranks, feet stepping in a rhythm pounded by dozens of drummers.
The noise was terrible, not only in volume but in what it promised.
“It’s an intimidation strategy,” Quintus said. “Kaira won’t lose her nerve but the people of Emrant might, if they are afraid enough.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then their army will either ride out to fight or will man the walls while we lay siege.”
Teriana glanced back at the trebuchet the oxen pulled, only one of the many war machines the legion carried with them. All things designed to pull down walls or go over them.
Endless scouts brought information to Marcus where he rode not far ahead of her in the company of Nic and Servius. Close enough that she overheard some of their reports, and with Quintus interpreting some of the signals, she gathered that Kaira had heavily armed the walls of Emrant and arrayed the rest of her army before the main gates. Seven thousand soldiers was the number she kept hearing. An enormous host by most standards, yet smaller than the one Teriana rode with.
And a spec of sand in the numbers at the Empire’s beck and call.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The merciless rhythm of thousands of marching men took control of her heart, forcing it to beat to the same relentless pace, andnausea rose in Teriana’s stomach. “Tell me how this will go,” she whispered to Quintus, trepidation overwhelming her. “Tell me what he’s planning. Tell me what will happen.”
“I don’t know.” Quintus’s whole body was tense. “I don’t think anyone does except for him.”
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
It sounded like death was on the march, and Teriana could only imagine how those in the city felt, the very ground trembling as the legions moved ever closer. Families hiding in cellars, clutching each other tight while those who could fight raised what arms they could to join the trained soldiers on the wall.Gods…just imagining civilians trying to fight the legionnaires surrounding her made Teriana want to vomit.
It was not right.
It was not fair.
“Why didn’t Kaira evacuate?” Tears dripped down Teriana’s cheeks as she watched the vanguard disappear over the rise of a hill, war machines pulled by oxen trundling between the lines of men. “So many people are going to die, Quintus.”
“Evacuating a city this size is next to impossible,” Quintus said. “Especially one that has never known a threat. People aren’t afraid enough to abandon everything they own, everything they’ve worked for, and by the time they realize that they’re going to lose it all anyway, it’s too late. Either that, or Kaira has reason to believe she can win the fight.”
A scout approached on horseback, falling in alongside Marcus. Teriana leaned around Quintus to watch them, heads bent together. Marcus nodded slowly at whatever information the legionnaire conveyed before the man sped north again.
“As anticipated, Kaira emptied the military fortress of Imresh, which is about three miles from here.” Marcus spoke loud enough for the officers around him to hear over the noise. Loud enough for Teriana to hear, though she was not certain whether that was his intent. “An extra thousand soldiers, whom we should see”—his horse reached the summit of the hill—“now.”
