“You think that’s funny?”
“No,” he answered soberly, though he still smiled. “I think that’s wonderful. We need anger, Your Highness, to fuel us till the end. To wipe out her armies and to raze her kind from this land. To destroy her and King Dominik and start anew.”
He glanced to see if his words frightened her. For they were honest words. He chose to be as forthright as she was with him. Her fierce expression of determination never wavered. If anything, she appeared downright warrior-like, ready to march into battle.
“I believe we must do whatever necessary and pay whatever cost in order to end her reign.”
They rounded the bend, Brennalyn’s cottage coming into view. A plume of wood smoke unfurled from the chimney.
“Indeed, Captain. I’m ready to play my part, whatever that might be.” Grim determination burned bright in her steely expression as she released him and stepped up to the cottage door. “Whatever the cost.”
Mikhail’s heart skipped a beat at the look on her face. For it was the exact same expression he’d seen in the mirror these many years since his father had died. Both he and Mina had lost much at the hands of Queen Morgrid. They were united in their need not just for vengeance, but for justice. It appeared fate continued to find ways to bind them together. At least in this regard, Mikhail had no objections.
Chapter Thirteen
“I’m just so happy Captain Mikhail and his men got you out of there safely.” Arabelle had just hugged the breath out of Mina then led her to a quaint parlor where Friedrich, Sienna, and Marius were already gathered. Mikhail followed behind them. Mina and Arabelle took a seat on the sofa. Another man Mina didn’t know stood next to Friedrich. He wore the clothes and strapped weaponry of a Bloodguard and had a rebellious tilt to his mouth. But he was human, not vampire.
“Your Highness.” Friedrich stepped toward her and bowed regally. “It is a pleasure to see you safe and sound.” He flicked a glance over her shoulder. “Though I had no doubt Mikhail could do it.” He waved to the human. “This is my brother, Grant.”
“Brother?”
Grant stepped forward and bowed with less finesse, though it somehow came across as alluring. “The better-looking one, Your Highness.” He winked.
Mina laughed.
“Behave yourself, Grant,” said Brennalyn, coming in behind them with Helena and Dmitri.
The parlor was filled with too many bodies and not enough seats. Brennalyn closed the door and moved to Friedrich’s side.
Grant aimed a devilish smile at her. “Are you hungry, darling? I’d be happy to oblige you now.”
“Don’t you think that joke is getting old?” asked Friedrich, scowling.
“What joke is that?”
“That my wife wants to feed every time you’re near. As if you’re just that tempting.”
“No, it will never get old, because it always gets a rise out of you. And she does want to feed from me every time I’m near. Don’t you, darling?” He tapped her under her chin.
“Stop it, Grant,” she said playfully, biting back a smile.
Friedrich stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’ll be making you a vampire within the fortnight, Brother. That’ll solve that problem.”
“Promises, promises.”
Marius anchored himself against the wall next to the sofa on Arabelle’s side. “Then we’ll have two new vampires in our party soon.”
Arabelle shot a scathing look over her shoulder at him. “Must you announce it to everyone?”
“It’s not a shameful secret, sweetheart.”
Mina couldn’t help but ask, “Are you going to become a vampire, Arabelle?”
She rolled her eyes to the ceiling with an exasperated sigh. “Yes.”
While her demeanor showed frustration, she sensed both excitement and fear rolling off of the vibrant leader of the Black Lily.
Mina arched a brow at Marius, the prince she was once betrothed to marry. “You are not forcing her, are you?”
“Forcing her? Of course not. As if I could.” He laughed as if it were a foolish idea, crossing his arms over his chest. “Strongly coercing? Yes. That I’m doing.”
Mina observed Arabelle a moment. “Well, you will be even stronger and more formidable with vampire strength.”
Marius scoffed. “See? What did I tell you?”
She ignored him and answered Mina directly. “That is the reason I’ve agreed to the idea. Among others.”
Marius whispered low, though every vampire in the room could obviously hear. “It has nothing to do with my threat to withhold particular—”
Arabelle whipped up a hand for him to stop and shot him a daggered look. “Hold your tongue, husband,” she threatened, though there was a smile in her voice.
The door opened. Allora and Dane stepped in.
“Oh, my,” said Sienna. “Aren’t we a large party?”
“Not large enough,” said Marius.
They joined the circle, Nikolai moving to Marius’s side. “Tell everyone how your mission went.”
The lighthearted mood darkened at once. Marius shoved off the wall and stepped slightly forward so all could see and hear him.
“I bring good and bad tidings from my brother, Agnar, in the west. He has sent resources in the form of coin for food as well as blades forged by the most revered craftsman of the four kingdoms.”
“But?” asked Nikolai.
“But he will not fight with us.”
A heavy sigh and murmuring of dissent circled the room. Mina felt the sting keenly, glancing up at Mikhail. His steady and composed expression never wavered as he addressed Marius.
“How long will the coin last for food provisions?”
“That depends,” said Marius, glancing at Nikolai. “How many soldiers do we have returning from Cutters Cove? And when do they arrive?”
Nikolai stared at the floor, mentally calculating before raising his head. “They’ll be here within two weeks’ time. Then we will have approximately two thousand. Those who have families who joined the cause will add another seven hundred mouths to feed.”
Marius gave a sharp dip of his chin. “Then we have coin to last two months even with the additional families. We will need to set our course for Izeling not long after the last ship arrives from Cutters Cove.”
“It’s not enough.” The soft but steady voice of Helena quieted everyone in the room. No one said a word, but everyone swiveled in her direction.
“What do you mean?” asked Dmitri gently, standing next to her.
“The number of soldiers,” she clarified. She glanced up at Dmitri then back to Marius. “You don’t know what just one of the vampires in King Dominik’s army can do.” She gulped hard. “Much less the hundreds, perhaps thousands he has by now.”
Dmitri moved protectively closer to her.