Keeper of Storms (The Fallen Fae #3) - Jenna Wolfhart Page 0,90
that’s a relief to hear. Isn’t it, Lorcan?”
“On one condition,” Lord Maddox cut in, dousing all the sudden hope in the packed room full of lords, warriors, and eager courtiers.
Lorcan frowned. “Let me guess. You wish to be appointed a new title of some sort. Some more land? You know I can’t promise you a damn thing until this war is won. I don’t know what we’ll have by the end of this thing.”
“All I want is a seat on your council,” the lord said with a tight smile. “And for the warriors from Shademore to join us on the battlefield. They have a thousand trained fighters there. Combined with ours, we stand a much better chance of our warriors surviving the war.”
Shademore? That was unexpected. He hadn’t even been aware the town had survived through the long, dead years. It sat so close to Findius, he’d assumed the air fae had taken them out at some point during the war.
“Good.” He nodded. “That I can agree with. We’ll send a bird to let them know when to advance.”
“We have no birds.” The lord’s eyes cut toward Reyna. “We’ll need to use the owl.”
Reyna stiffened, reaching up to stroke Wingallock’s feathers.
“No,” Lorcan said in a low growl that did not welcome disagreement. “The owl is Reyna’s familiar. It stays with her.”
Beside him, the princess shifted uncomfortably on the wooden bench. He knew what she was thinking. Every bloody word of it. Hell, if she wasn’t, he’d leap off a cliff and dive into the open mouth of a great, mythical beast. She wanted to agree to send her owl. Even if it shattered her completely.
“He won’t be going, Princess Reyna” Lorcan said in a voice lined with steel, using her title in front of the lords, even though he hated how formal it sounded. “You know you can’t survive his absence. Not anymore.”
She pressed her lips together. He expected her to argue, but instead, she crushed up some herbs and threw them into her mouth. Her complexion seemed to brighten instantly.
“I know I can’t send him,” she admitted after she’d swallowed the herbs. “But I also refuse to sit around and be helpless. I’ll go to Shademore and gather their warriors.”
Lorcan glared at her. “Absolutely not.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to order me around?”
“Yes, Princess Reyna. I am. I only just found you again.”
“I want to help you,” she said fiercely, her eyes flashing in the way that only Reyna Darragh’s eyes could flash. “I need to help you.”
Lorcan huffed. She was doing it again. That maddening, infuriating Reyna thing that made him love her with the ferocity of a thousand burning suns. But it also made him want to shout at the skies and beg the gods to save his soul from utter destruction.
“You’re not feeling like yourself,” he said, trying to keep a handle on his frustration. “You’re not at full strength, like it or not. I know you hate hearing that, but it’s the truth.”
“I know it is.” She stabbed the fish, and then popped a piece of it into her mouth. “Which is why I’m going to gather the army. Right now, I don’t know how well I’d fare in a fight, so I won’t be much help when we reach Findius. This is something I can actually do, Lorcan. And I won’t take no for an answer.”
A low growl rumbled in Lorcan’s throat.
Nollaig tapped the table with a gloved fist. “Oh, hi there. Remember me? I’m Nollaig, and I am very helpful. In fact, I’m so helpful that I’ll go with Reyna. That way, everyone wins. Am I right?”
Reyna narrowed her eyes. “I don’t need a minder.”
“What if the Ruin weakens you too much for you to go on?” Nollaig snapped. “I have a lot of respect for you, Shieldmaiden, but let’s not forget what’s happening to you right now.”
“Listen.” Lorcan palmed the table. “I’ll go gather the army.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Your Grace.” Lord Maddox’s voice sent a jolt of alarm through Lorcan. He’d almost forgotten he was there, along with the two dozen other courtiers hanging on to their every word. “Our army is pleased to fight by their High King’s side. But they won’t feel that way if you’re not there to lead them to Findius.”
Lorcan cut his eyes toward the lord. This was a test. He’d passed the first one by allowing the lord to make his own decision about his army. Now, another test stretched out