Kingdom of Ash

From the castle’s highest towers and
walkways, every marching line could be
counted. One after another after another.
Her hands still bruised and bandaged from
digging through frozen earth, Lysandra stood
with an assortment of their allies on one of
those walkways, Evangeline clinging to her.
“That’s fifteen thousand,” Ansel of
Briarcliff announced as yet another line
emerged. No one said anything. “Twenty.”
“Morath must be empty to now have so
many here,” Prince Galan murmured.
Evangeline trembled, not entirely from the
cold, and Lysandra tightened her arm around
the girl. Down the wall of the walkway,
Darrow and the other Terrasen lords spoke
quietly. As if sensing Lysandra’s attention,
Darrow threw a narrow glance her way—that
then dipped to the pale-faced, shaking
Evangeline. Darrow said nothing, and