Sweet Innocence and Gentle Sin || 𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐑

Chapter 18: You Cannot Understand

Take all the courage you have left, And waste it on fixing

all the problems that you made in your own head.

Content Warning for very light smut

~)(~

Jurian looked ready to punch something—or someone. Azriel looked like he didn't get a second of sleep. The generals looked antsy. One of them couldn't stop moving from one leg to the other, another kept checking his hair, and another looked like he was falling asleep standing up.

The High Lord leaned over the table and rubbed across his forehead before saying, "How many men have you counted?"

"Only a thousand with us. Combine that with the allies near the mountain... I'd say close to four thousand," a general said.

"That's not nearly enough," the Lord said, sounding like he was thinking out loud.

I leaned over and looked at the map. Currently, we had three days to get to the mines on foot—but it would be easier to winnow. Few here knew how, though. Traveling on foot was the easier option, but it also gave us less time to prepare for the king. I looked at the symbol on the map, one symbol of the allied armies nearby. It was the same symbol Rhysand always wore.

"How many men are here?" I asked, pointing to the symbol.

"Perhaps a thousand," the general said.

I nodded. A thousand wouldn't even the odds, but if Rhysand was with them, then he counted as his own army. "Have we sent for them?"

"We aren't going to," the High Lord said.

My gaze shot up to meet his. It was obvious in his expression that he knew what I was thinking. But, of course, he wouldn't want to lose his only son. Even if we needed him. I ground my teeth as I thought, picking at a small crack in the table.

The High Lord pointed around the entrance to the mountain. It was a lone mountain, with only two exits—one of them caved in. The hills that branched off it formed a wide valley that led to a river. The entrance was completely blocked in, and once you were inside, there was no way out.

"We'll prepare for this to be the main battleground, and as they push us back, use the river to block their advances."

"What about the hills?" One general looked up at the High Lord while pushing back his blond hair from his face.

The High Lord rubbed his chin. "Set up our own smaller groups along the hillsides to watch for any activity. Keep an aerial look around the entire mountain."

"And we are sure the other exit is blocked?" I asked.

He nodded. "Has been for centuries."

I glanced at the other end of the table, finding Azriel watching as I nibbled the inside of my cheek. I took a deep breath and straightened my back. "My—the king will have faebane with him. A lot of it."

"You've seen it?" A general asked.

I nodded. "Barrels full. We may have depleted it by one already." I caught Azriel smirking at my words. It made my body warm a little, something that wasn't supposed to happen, that shouldn't happen.

"We'll just have to be careful... there's nothing we can do about it," another general said.

I couldn't help but smile, remembering all the things my uncle taught me when I was little. He used to show me the mines of faebane, veins of blue that glittered deep down, all mined by human slaves because we could not get near it without hurting.