Chapter 19 Lily
LILY
I sat at the dining table alone, the soup and bread brought to me long cold because I hadn’t touched them.
My mind was far away from food, thinking about the darkness of the underworld, my father’s lifeless body in his bed, the kingdom that prepared for an imminent battle against foes that could mortally wound us.
Hawk stepped into the room in his full battle armor, like he’d been with the commanders down at the military barracks. “Didn’t sleep last night?” He pulled out the chair across from me and took a seat, his enormous blade visible over one shoulder.
My eyes flicked to him when I came back to reality. “I did.”
“Then why do you look like shit?”
Because one night of sleep wasn’t enough to recover from my trip to the world of darkness.
My body was as tired as I’d been after my three-day trek across the sea in that little sailboat.
I felt like I’d survived a battle when the time spent with Hawk in this world was practically leisurely. “I guess it wasn’t enough.”
He glanced down at my chili then back at me again. “Are you going to eat it?”
I didn’t look at the plate before I slid it across the table toward him. “Went cold a long time ago. I’m sure they could make you a fresh batch.”
With his elbows on the table, he started to eat. “Rather not waste it.”
My father always told us tales about the deep frosts of his childhood, when food became scarce. It hadn’t happened often in my lifetime, but we knew food wasn’t always in abundance, so we never wasted what was given to us.
“We’re enlisting new soldiers. The ships and cannons are being prepared for battle. Everyone in the village knows war is coming, so they’re making their preparations as well. Some are choosing to flee to the valley.”
“That’s their right.”
“I think it’s treasonous.”
“They’re just trying to do what’s right for their families.”
“It’s dishonorable.”
“I don’t want someone who lacks heart in this battle. They’re just going to surrender or get cut down anyway.”
“Anyone who refuses to fight in the Empire Colonies is executed.”
“And King Ithaca is an asshole, so there you go.”
Hawk ripped off more pieces of bread and dragged them through his soup before he devoured it. “If I were king, I’d do things differently. But I respect that you’re in charge, so if that’s what you want, so be it.”
“Thank you.”
He examined me across the table as he ate his soup. “Anything else on your mind?”
“I know the element that will heal Father. But I have no idea where to find it.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“Platinum. It’s like steel but brilliant like a diamond.”
“And how did you figure that out?” he asked, his voice a little more aggressive.
Any lie wouldn’t be a suitable explanation, so I told the truth. “He told me.” It was getting harder to pretend my heart wasn’t committed to his. That I didn’t fantasize about a life with him that I would never have.
Hawk remained stiff as his eyes locked on my face, absorbing that information with distinct displeasure. “He told you what, but not where?”
“He doesn’t know the location of where it can be found.”
“And you believe him?”
It was hard to keep a straight face, not to let my offense turn my face red. “Yes. Why would he choose to be helpful, but only partially?”
“I don’t know…maybe because he’s the god of the underworld? Because he’s a demon who takes the souls of innocent people—”
“Hawk.”
“I think you’re a fool to trust the word of someone who doesn’t have your best interest at heart.”
“I wouldn’t be alive right now if I didn’t trust him,” I said calmly. “And we have a mutual vested interest in the defeat of the Barbarians.”
“What possible reason could the god of the underworld have to be vested in our affairs?” he snapped. “The outcome of our wars and the kings who sit upon our thrones don’t affect him whatsoever. So either he’s lying to you, or you’re lying to me—which is it?”
I wanted to lash out at what he said, but I forced myself to remain calm, to keep in mind that he would never understand my relationship with Callum even if I took the time to explain it to him.
He was just worried about me like any brother would be.
“I’m gonna say the same thing to you that I did to Mom—that I need you to trust me. ”
He sank back against the chair, leaving his half-empty bowl of chili in front of him. His shoulders dropped slightly as his eyes moved elsewhere, squeezing his frustration tight so it wouldn’t escape.
“Just trust me, okay?”
“It’s not you I don’t trust, Lily.”
“Please,” I said. “I know it’s hard to accept, but I need you to have faith.”
“I don’t have faith in demons.”
“He’s not a demon.”
“He’s not human either—and you need to remember that.”
The next breath I took was my last for several seconds. Accusation hit the table, and I had to bluff like I was in a poker match. To refuse to let his words spark an emotion on my face. To refuse to let my secret become common knowledge.
Hawk finally pushed himself back from the table like he was about to depart the room.
“I’ll work on the platinum. Father and I have had our differences in the past, but his absence has humbled me more than any life lesson he’s ever taught me.
I don’t think we’ll survive this war without him leading us.
I’m not saying I don’t believe in your rulership, Lily.
But he’s the only one who triumphed over the greatest evils. ”
“I take no offense, brother,” I said calmly.
“I wish more than anything he were here too. Because I’m not sure if I can do this either.
” I spent all my time plotting and thinking about our next move, and the only respite I had from that was when Callum wrapped me in his arms and made the world go still for a moment.
Hawk didn’t rise from his chair, releasing a defeated sigh like he felt guilty for what he’d said, even though I agreed with him wholeheartedly. “I’ll figure it out.”
We prepared the Southern Isles for an invasion, unsure exactly when it was coming but knowing with certainty that it was.
Despite being the leader of the kingdom and the people, I felt utterly powerless.
Hawk executed my orders, and the commanders followed my commands like they believed in my father’s decision to appoint me as his successor.
But I still felt like a fraud.
My mother spent the majority of her time at my father’s side. Either because she believed in me to protect this kingdom, or she was just too heartbroken to do much else.
I stood at the edge of the cliff and looked out over the endless sea, the sun low in the sky because it was an hour from sunset. Winter began its descent, and spring started to come forth with more flowers in the garden, but I feared the greatest storm lurked on the horizon.
I felt him before I saw him, a split-second awareness.
He appeared at my side, silently taking in the view with me as if the Southern Isles was as much his home as it was mine. He stood there for minutes before his hand reached for mine, encompassing it like a warm blanket on a cold winter night.
My heart ached when I felt him, my fingers giving his a squeeze in return.
Then he let me go before he turned his whole body to face me.
I met his stare, swallowed at how handsome he looked in the light. Felt a rush through my whole body and an electric pulse in my womb, an inherent desire to have his children, when I’d never been sure if I wanted them in the first place.
His eyes were locked on mine with a command that made me grow still. “I have news about the enemy.”
So this wasn’t a pleasant conversation. Very much the opposite.
“They’ve removed the golden frescoes from their ships and have reforged the gold into cannons.”
“But their ships already have cannons.” I’d directed the galleon to avoid their fire before they’d boarded our ship.
“A different kind of cannon,” he said solemnly. “With several sharp spikes and inverse hooks, so it can’t be removed from flesh without tearing it apart.”
I still didn’t understand. “They expect to hit the crew individually?”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “These are enormous spikes…not meant for humans.”
I took a slight step back when the air expanded in my lungs so quickly it nearly popped them.
My muscles tightened for a battle against painful knowledge.
I pictured Zehemoth in the air, his beautiful scales pierced by the golden spike before it became permanently lodged in his body, and then his wings toppling in the air before he fell. “No…”
His eyes softened into a deep look of pain.
“Not my dragons.” I cared more for them than my own people. Creatures so powerful yet so peaceful. This was a war among men, not dragons, and they had no business being the target.
The agony in his stare deepened. “They may have the ability to heal themselves before the injury claims their lives, but it depends on where they’re struck and how deeply.”
“This can’t be happening.” My stare started to glisten with tears that shed from my soul. “This can’t be real…it just can’t.”
“I didn’t want to tell you,” he said quietly.
“What—what am I going to do?”
“You need armor for your dragons. Do you have any?”
“I’m—I’m not sure. What’s stronger than dragon scales? That’s so much steel.” I went through all the logistics in my head, trying to figure out how I could pull this off as quickly as possible. “Or maybe they should just flee. I don’t want them to die because of us.”
“You’ll die without them, Xivin. Talon risked his life to free them, and I know they won’t turn their backs on his daughter. They’re honorable creatures that respect and love the Rothschilds like their own kin.”
“But I love them. I can’t watch them fall out of the sky.”
“Then build them armor. Send a crew to search for the platinum. Maybe fortune will bless you before the battle. Xivin, I understand why you’re emotional right now, but you need to think logically.”
“I can’t do this—”
“Yes, you can.” He moved closer to me, getting in my face the way my father had in the past, when I was scared of the storm that we sailed through on the sea, when I wanted to stop practicing the blade because my bruises hurt too much.
He never let me give up. “You can and you will, Lily Rothschild.” His hand tightened into a fist over his chest. “I have no doubt.”
My eyes flicked away, the tears of fear and stress still coming.
“Order the Brigandine Empire to search for the platinum and report back. I will take you there so you can speak to Keeper Scurvy. Light the forges and build as much armor as you can to protect your dragons. You can do this.”
It took me a moment to calm down, to let the emotion pass out of my heart. “Okay.”
He took a step back and dropped his fist from his heart. “Their eyes are trained on the Empire Colonies. They wish to conquer it and use their navy against you for the battle.”
All the terror that had just left my body came rushing back. My heart raced like I was running at full speed rather than standing completely still. “I need to warn King Ithaca.”
“Prepare your fleet to sail to his defense. The Barbarians won’t expect your arrival. The surprise may be enough to end the war at the first battle.”
“I can’t bring my dragons. I don’t have armor—”
“You don’t need them. You have your fleet and the element of surprise. Coordinate with King Ithaca, and you can ambush them.”
I nodded in agreement, but my mind was still in a rush of thoughts.
“Give your orders and prepare for battle. When you’re ready, I’ll take you to Jack and then the Empire Colonies.”
I mindlessly gave a nod, my eyes on the grass and then the ocean over the cliff. “Okay.”
“Xivin.”
My eyes lifted and found his again.
“I am with you in this.”