Страница 49 из 216
Lailah straightened the strap of her baldric. “With the exception of Bele’s, the rest of the Courts have about five thousand.”
I nodded, ru
“No more than a thousand,” Rhain answered. “And that likely includes those who returned to Vathi after Bele’s Ascension.”
That surprised me. “I would’ve thought there’d be more.”
“Lucky for us,” Ash drawled, “the Cimmerian’s love of fighting equals a very short lifespan.”
I snorted at his comment. A thousand senturion warriors that could summon the night to cloak themselves in battle was still a problem.
“Any Court that wants to move their armies against us would have to do so by foot,” Lailah shared. “And none of the Courts are likely to give such permission because it could be perceived as a pronouncement of their loyalties.”
I considered that. “So, any Court outside Vathi will have to travel the Lassa Sea, which is good news since we would see them.”
“Except for the Thyia Plains,” Rhain interjected. “But they ca
“The gods could shadowstep from their ships to land,” Ash said, “but they risk destroying their vessels in the process.”
“True.” Rhain’s lips pursed. “And they would also have to travel the length of the Bonelands with no cleared lands and no roads. If any come, they will do so by the Lassa.”
For now, went unsaid.
“This could all change if a number of Courts decide to support Kolis.” I stated the obvious.
“Yes.” Ash gently squeezed my hip. “It would all change then.”
“If that happens, they will come for us by land, sea, and air,” Lailah said, her brow furrowed. “Fighting a battle on two fronts is not something anyone wants to do—let alone three.”
A sudden awareness echoed through me. I looked at the sky, squinting until I could make out the distant shape of a draken.
“That’s one of ours,” Rhain said, noting where my attention had gone. “They’re patrolling.”
As I watched the draken glide closer, I knew it wasn’t Nektas. It wasn’t as large as him, and the draken didn’t…feel like him. I thought—or perhaps felt—that it was a draken I wasn’t familiar with, which made me think of something. Draken would only attack if the Primal they served was in danger, but instinct told me the rule didn’t necessarily apply to wartime. “What’s the draken situation with the other Courts?”
“Good and bad,” Lailah said. “Which one would you like to hear first?”
“The bad.”
A wry grin appeared. “Kolis has a legion of a dozen,” she said. “Kyn has about ten, as does Embris. The other Courts have five or fewer.”
I frowned. “Those numbers are lower than I expected.”
“The draken go through cycles that last about a century and can only conceive for a few weeks during that time,” Rhain explained, watching the soldiers on the field. “And from what I can gather, many of the draken have taken active steps to prevent conception since Kolis’s reign began.”
A knot of sadness gathered in my chest because I could understand why they wouldn’t want to bring a youngling into the realm under Kolis’s rule. Look at what he had done to Thad—the young draken who had served Kyn—Nektas’s mate, Halayna; Reaver’s parents…and only the gods knew how many others.
Ash’s chin grazed the top of my head. “Ready for the good news?”
“Yes. Please.”
“We have the most.” Ash dragged his thumb along the crease between my thigh and hip. “Fifteen, not including the younglings. And we have Nektas.”
The skin beneath my ear shivered. “Because…he’s the first.”
“Exactly. Most are not like Davon,” Ash confirmed, referencing Nektas’s now-deceased distant relative. “Or the draken who have always served Kolis. If the others come up against Nektas, they will back down.”
That was good news.
But not nearly enough.
We had Attes, and I was confident that Keella would join us. Maia, as well as Phanos and Embris, were up in the air. Kyn would obviously side with the false King. So would Veses. And if either Phanos or Embris stood with him? Or, worse yet, both?
We would be outnumbered.