Darius looked up from the map he had spread on the table. "How many?"
"Enough to make a real push. They're not coming for the walls this time. They're coming for the queen and the children."
Rylan's axe scraped against the floor as he stood. "Then we don't wait for them to reach us. We take the fight to them."
I looked down at Lila, her small mouth still working at my breast. She was four months old and already the center of everything. And now there were two more on the way. The thought of my father's allies coming for them made something cold and sharp settle in my chest.
I finished nursing and handed Lila to Darius. "We don't wait. We hit them before they can organize. Small team. We go for their command group. Make them bleed enough that the outer packs think twice about joining him."
Darius met my eyes. "You're carrying twins. The sickness is back. The curse will test us again on the next full moon."
