renewed.”
“The Ancients were right. Liam and Lilae are bonded. Out of all the other Chosen, they are the most connected. We’ve never heard a single word from the Silver Elves. When will they reveal who The Steel is?”
“Perhaps something is keeping them from stepping forward.”
Aria sat on her chair and picked up a cup of tea. She nodded and sipped the ginger spiced liquid. “I’d very much like their support. This war is as much theirs as it is ours.”
“Indeed.”
She took another sip, hoping it would settle her stomach. She winced, and Yoska moved closer to her. His dark eyes searched her face. For a moment, Aria thought that he looked worried.
“What is it? Are you ill?”
Aria shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she assured him, ignoring the pain in her belly. She sat the cup down and rested her head on the back of the chair.
Banging on Aria’s outer chamber sent chills up her spin. After a quick glance at Yoska, Aria was on her feet. She hurried over to the door and opened it. Four of her soldiers waited outside.
Her brows furrowed, as she looked the soaked soldiers over. “What is it?”
The leader stepped forward and bowed. “Sergeant Strongbow, my Queen. Please forgive us, but it simply couldn’t wait.”
“Come, let’s get you some tea,” she motioned for them to come inside.
They stepped into her sitting room with muddy boots.
“Mindy,” Aria called. “Get more cups and some fresh tea. And send for Lord Franco.”
Mindy gave a quick bow and hurried to obey her orders. Aria watched her scurry down the red-carpeted corridor and turned to the soldiers.
Each man was visibly shaken, his body tense, eyes wide.
She propped the door open and entered her study.
“Please sit. Tell me everything.”
Strongbow cleared his throat and looked at her with deep-set blue eyes. “Elders, my Queen. We saw them outside the gates.”
Aria’s face paled. “What?” She slumped into the nearest chair.
“Nearly a dozen Elders—in their true form stand outside the gates.”
“Like shadows,” a soldier said, looking up at Aria. “Horrifying sight, Queen Aria.”
The Ancients had told her nothing about the Elders roaming the lands. Why were they congregating outside her city?
Wexcyn had destroyed the majority of the Elders years ago. Only a few had escaped his takeover of the Underworld.
“It’s unheard of for the living to see them,” Yoska said.
It could only mean one thing.
The Elders were waiting for death. A lot of it.
Mindy entered the room with a tray. The soldiers accepted hot cups of tea and nodded thanks to her.
Lord Franco arrived in a huff. He stood in the doorway, his staff pointed at the soldiers.
“This is unheard of, your highness,” he called to Aria. His face was twisted in disgust as he looked at the soldiers. “It’s simply improper to host men in your chambers like this. Especially soldiers. Who told you that you could come up here?”
“Calm down, Franco. They know the rules, but I commend them for coming straight to me.”
Lord Franco pursed his lips. He was much older, with long gray hair and a thick gray beard. His blue robes swished as he stepped inside.
“What could be so urgent?”
“Elders,” Aria answered, and his bushy brows stood up in surprise.
“They wait outside the gate, in the darkness of the forest. They don’t speak. They don’t move. They simply wait.” Strongbow looked toward the open door that led to Aria’s sleeping quarters. They could see the sky brightening outside her balcony.
“Aria,”
“The Ancients were right. Liam and Lilae are bonded. Out of all the other Chosen, they are the most connected. We’ve never heard a single word from the Silver Elves. When will they reveal who The Steel is?”
“Perhaps something is keeping them from stepping forward.”
Aria sat on her chair and picked up a cup of tea. She nodded and sipped the ginger spiced liquid. “I’d very much like their support. This war is as much theirs as it is ours.”
“Indeed.”
She took another sip, hoping it would settle her stomach. She winced, and Yoska moved closer to her. His dark eyes searched her face. For a moment, Aria thought that he looked worried.
“What is it? Are you ill?”
Aria shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she assured him, ignoring the pain in her belly. She sat the cup down and rested her head on the back of the chair.
Banging on Aria’s outer chamber sent chills up her spin. After a quick glance at Yoska, Aria was on her feet. She hurried over to the door and opened it. Four of her soldiers waited outside.
Her brows furrowed, as she looked the soaked soldiers over. “What is it?”
The leader stepped forward and bowed. “Sergeant Strongbow, my Queen. Please forgive us, but it simply couldn’t wait.”
“Come, let’s get you some tea,” she motioned for them to come inside.
They stepped into her sitting room with muddy boots.
“Mindy,” Aria called. “Get more cups and some fresh tea. And send for Lord Franco.”
Mindy gave a quick bow and hurried to obey her orders. Aria watched her scurry down the red-carpeted corridor and turned to the soldiers.
Each man was visibly shaken, his body tense, eyes wide.
She propped the door open and entered her study.
“Please sit. Tell me everything.”
Strongbow cleared his throat and looked at her with deep-set blue eyes. “Elders, my Queen. We saw them outside the gates.”
Aria’s face paled. “What?” She slumped into the nearest chair.
“Nearly a dozen Elders—in their true form stand outside the gates.”
“Like shadows,” a soldier said, looking up at Aria. “Horrifying sight, Queen Aria.”
The Ancients had told her nothing about the Elders roaming the lands. Why were they congregating outside her city?
Wexcyn had destroyed the majority of the Elders years ago. Only a few had escaped his takeover of the Underworld.
“It’s unheard of for the living to see them,” Yoska said.
It could only mean one thing.
The Elders were waiting for death. A lot of it.
Mindy entered the room with a tray. The soldiers accepted hot cups of tea and nodded thanks to her.
Lord Franco arrived in a huff. He stood in the doorway, his staff pointed at the soldiers.
“This is unheard of, your highness,” he called to Aria. His face was twisted in disgust as he looked at the soldiers. “It’s simply improper to host men in your chambers like this. Especially soldiers. Who told you that you could come up here?”
“Calm down, Franco. They know the rules, but I commend them for coming straight to me.”
Lord Franco pursed his lips. He was much older, with long gray hair and a thick gray beard. His blue robes swished as he stepped inside.
“What could be so urgent?”
“Elders,” Aria answered, and his bushy brows stood up in surprise.
“They wait outside the gate, in the darkness of the forest. They don’t speak. They don’t move. They simply wait.” Strongbow looked toward the open door that led to Aria’s sleeping quarters. They could see the sky brightening outside her balcony.
“Aria,”
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