Ann's office was still running at full speed even as the clock approached midnight, thanks to the flood of grim reports hitting the palace every hour.
Eva scrolled through casualty lists on a tablet with an ever deepening frown while Coral paced restlessly, updating the roster of surviving units and muttering about how she shouldn't even be thinking of a way to automate the process electronically.
Brad had stationed himself at the door with two of the palace guards, and it was obvious from his stance that he was completely focused on listening for any sign of trouble in the corridor.
"Three more units are close to collapse on the front line," Eva sighed, scratching her face absently, "Reinforcements still haven't reached them and the commanders have already requested for Adam's orders on whether to pull back or hold out a little longer."
"They should hold," Ann said, her hand staying braced on the desk, both for balance and to keep herself focused. "If that line breaks then it's practically an uncontested march straight to the city and that would be catastrophic."
"Supplies from the border camp still haven't arrived," Coral added with a frown, "The runners have said that it's hitting their morale hard."
Of course it was. If these reports were even an hour or two behind, then the defensive line might already be gone.
Adam might already be gone.
Ann exhaled heavily, pushing the terrifying thought away.
"I don't know what else we can do without the reinforcements. Perhaps we can issue rotation orders again. If the wounded can still stand…" Ann paused, biting her lip.
This would never work, the people who were out of action and wounded were being forced to stay put until they had healed and if they returned to the frontlines, it was nothing more than a death sentence. These people that fought for the safety of their kingdom were as focused as Adam was.
Retreat was not an option for them.
"You know, we should send the nobles to the front…let them flap their finery at the monstrosities and throw a few barbed insults. With any luck, it will be as effective as I think it will." Maeve huffed irritably.
"Don't be silly," Ann snorted, "They would never agree to that. Could you imagine the fallout?"
"You bet I can," Maeve purred happily, "I'm envisioning us making it a royal order and when they refuse we should hang a sign on the council wing that just says: CLOSED FOR COWARDICE."
"Mmm. That would definitely go down like a lead balloon. I think we have enough issues to deal with, without adding more to it."
"Maybe they can stand underneath it…" Maeve sniggered as a sly smile crept across her face, but Ann just blinked stupidly at her, not fully grasping what she meant.
"What?"
"The lead balloon you idiot." Maeve sighed heavily before adopting a condescending tone that was more fitting for speaking to a child, "Never mind Queenie. Take your pregnancy brain and focus it on something that isn't as intellectually taxing as my glorious wit and sarcasm."
Ann bristled and narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"Listen here little miss Pupcup, if you think for a minute.." Ann warned as Maeve gasped like she had been mortally wounded, but whatever she had been about to say disappeared from her thoughts as the sound of heavy bootsteps thundering down the corridor outside drew her attention.
"Holy shit…is the floor shaking?" Eva murmured in concern, looking to Ann for reassurance.
The steps were too fast, and much too heavy to belong to a guard and the way Brad and the guards turned to face the corridor told her that they felt the same.
Brad straightened.
"Hold your gr…" He began his orders, but the door slammed inward before he could finish.
Brad caught it on instinct but much to everyone's surprise, Lord Brarthroroz's shoulder drove straight through him, sending him skidding into the wall with a heavy crack as he impacted it heavily and slid to the floor.
Coral gasped and covered her mouth as Eva gripped her arm and grimaced, watching the dazed expression that settled over Brad's face. Even Ann winced and Maeve sucked in a sharp breath.
Despite the collision, he steadied himself as quickly as he could and attempted to get to his feet. He didn't bother to pass comment or throw insults or anger at the man who had just barged him out of the way as if he were nothing, he was solely intent on retaking his post.
Alpha Felix followed two strides behind Lord Brarthroroz and winced as he witnessed the collision, pausing only long enough to grip Brad's arm and haul him fully upright with a grim half-apology. Then he hurried after the daemon lord.
Maeve snorted.
"Make way for the Daemon Dad Express!" she yelled in amusement, her enthusiastic volume making Ann wince, "I feel like we should install a warning bell down the corridor so he can hit it before he barges in next time."
"OR how about we just ask him to make an appointment," Ann hissed, beginning to get irritated with Maeve's commentary.
Brarthroroz didn't slow his pace down until the edge of Ann's desk physically stopped him and then his voice hit the room just as loudly as MAeves had in her head.
"Lexi lives." He half roared, the disbelief and happiness and amazement in his voice clearly audible, "She killed Eromaug with her own hand. Aoife is alive and she has been freed. And…" He paused, as his throat closed on the words he wanted to say, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper, "Lexi's mother lives. My mate…my Eternal…she still breathes."
And then, the world stopped.
Ann's fingers tightened on the desk so hard that her knuckles went white. The words hit her harder than any physical act of violence ever could. Her breath hitched sharply as her chest seized with emotion and without warning, her knees buckled from under her as a relieved sob tore from the very depths of her soul.
Coral and Eva moved quickly, exchanging a look with each other as if they knew what was going to happen before it did, and thankfully, they caught her before she hit the floor.
Together they eased her into the chair, steadying her as tears spilled down her cheeks and she clutched her side as the pups shifted hard under her ribs, reacting to the almost unbearable emotion rolling through her body.
She didn't hide it. She couldn't if she had tried.
For the first time since the war began, Ann sobbed. Not from pain, and not from fear.
From relief.
Maeve was completely silent now, overcome with emotion too.
It took quite a while before Ann could speak and she looked up at Lord Brarthroroz's tear filled eyes as she breathed;
"Say it again."
"Lexi lives," Brarthroroz repeated, his voice clear and confident, even though his emotions were barely restrained.
Ann shut her eyes as another sob broke loose, softer, but no less fierce. Eva pressed a glass of water into her hand and Coral stayed braced at her shoulder until she was a little more composed.
Felix stepped forward and set a tablet on the desk.
"Before you hear it from the troops, you should know LExi has brought quite an interesting set of reinforcements with her," Felix smiled wryly.
"Do I want to know?" Ann asked tentatively, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion and Felix chuckled.
"If I told you that she hit the battlefield riding a dragon like a nuclear warhead, with a few thousand hybrid reinforcements…"
Ann blinked up at him, her mouth hanging open slightly as Coral and Eva seemed to choke on air.
"A Dragon?!"
"SHE WAS RIDING A DRAGON?!"