77. NATE

Two hundred and ten lives were lost. More from the other kingdom than from ours. I was proud of our men. The days training them didn’t go to waste. I thought it might have been due to all the complaining they did whenever we trained. I turned away from the dead bodies and focused on the men whose wounds were being treated. Some looked like they were ready to pass out. A hand slammed down on my shoulder, making me tense. The grip on my sword tightened, but the man stepped into view. I relaxed slightly until my eyes locked with his. I swallowed, fear filling me. “What happened?” “Where’s Lucas?” I nodded in the direction. “We have a situation.” Mason started making his way towards him, and after a few seconds of hesitation, I followed. Gripping Lucas’s arm, he said something close to his ear and then nodded to a spot away from everyone. I could feel the nervous energy radiating off him as I got closer. There was also anger and the lingering traces of fear. “Sutton tried to gra