Chương 24: 024

When we reached the king's private study, Dominicus spoke first.

"Your Highness, Nikolas is here to speak with you." Maya slept on, curled peacefully in his arms. At Silas's nod, Dominicus bowed and withdrew, leaving us alone. Silas turned to me, hope flickering across his lined features.

"Have you come to a decision?"

"I have." I nodded once.

"I'll try to help, but I need information. I'm not strong enough to wipe out an army on my own. If we're going to survive this, we need a trap." Relief visibly drained the tension from his shoulders.

"Of course. We will provide whatever aid you require to keep my people safe. What do you need?" The knot in my stomach loosened at his immediate acceptance. Still, I chose my words carefully. As far as he knew, he had summoned me, and I wasn't about to correct that assumption. The fewer questions about how I arrived here, the better. If Karma had enemies, advertising myself as her chosen felt like painting a target on my back. I was far too breakable for that.

"How long does the summoning spell last?" I asked.

"If there's a chance I disappear again, we need to factor that in." Silas waved a hand.

"According to the old texts, the spell is indefinite. If you wish to return to your world, you'll need the aid of a powerful spirit." Guilt flickered across his face.

"I… regret the disruption this may have caused you. But there was no other choice." I waved off the apology without comment. The last thing I needed was him probing into my past. Indefinite. That wasn't good. If whatever he'd summoned was the catalyst, it wasn't going to simply vanish, because of course it wouldn't. World-ending disasters never came with convenient expiration dates. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

With any luck, it wouldn't surface until after the army was dealt with. Rubbing a hand through my hair, I pressed on.

"How close is the army?" His complexion dulled to ash. He gestured toward the window.

"See for yourself." I stepped closer, and my stomach dropped. Beyond the castle walls stretched a slow, relentless tide of armored figures, half-hidden beneath the shadowed canopy of the forest. Hundreds maybe even thousands, moving with grim inevitability. The sun dipped lower in the sky, dragging long fingers of dusk behind it. They wouldn't remain concealed much longer. Hours. Maybe less. No wonder Silas had been desperate. I turned back to him, forcing down the spark of panic before it could ignite.

This was wildly above my pay grade, but waiting for Karma or Time clearly wasn't an option.

"We don't have time to waste," I said.

"You said they're undead. What are their weaknesses? Can we funnel them into a confined area and lock them down?" Silas straightened, his expression tightening into that of a man who had survived too long in a broken world.

"Light magic is most effective, but that affinity is rare. Do you possess it?" A memory of Karma and my conversation surfaced, and I grimaced.

"No. Mine's nature." Silas nodded once.

"Then fire. Their bodies are dry, most moisture long gone. They burn easily. We can prepare oil, flaming arrows, anything to ignite them." It was crude, but effective.

"Good. Where can we draw them without risking civilians?" He gestured to a section of the outer wall where the terrain curved inward like a stone throat.

"There. A dead end. They'll either retreat or charge forward into the flames." It would work. Mostly. One problem remained.

"What do we use as bait? Animal corpses or-?" Silas shook his head before I finished.

"They crave human flesh only. Animals do not satisfy them." I clenched my jaw.

"There has to be something they want." Silence stretched between us. Then Silas's expression hardened, resolve setting like steel.

"There is." He met my eyes without flinching.

"Me." I stiffened.

"Absolutely not."

"I will serve as bait," he continued calmly.

"Those abominations will not lay a hand on my people while I still draw breath."

"You're too valuable," I shot back.

"If you die, the kingdom fractures. They'll need leadership once the army's gone." He smiled, grim and unwavering.

"This is my duty. I will not hide while my people are butchered." Admirable. Still reckless. Frustration surged before I could rein it in.

"Then let me do it," I said sharply.

"I'm not one of your people. You don't have to feel guilty if something happens to me."