“You have not heard?” Stonestryker interrupted. The cryptic words and heavy tone made Fletcher’s gut clench.
“Heard . . . what?”
The king’s gaze shifted to Seba. “The Galantasa has fallen.”
Silence roared, pressing on Fletcher’s ears. He felt like he was underwater. Sight, sound, and sensation were muted and faraway.
“What do you mean when you say it’s fallen?” came Seba’s strained voice.
The king’s face slackened with old grief. “I received word last month of your father’s passing. News has been slow and is often intercepted by shadowtroops and spies, but we have confirmed that the northern kingdom is Necrovar’s territory. The Shadow’s forces are at our border. The blockade of traitor Imperials surrounds Noryk, preventing communication with the capital.”
Seba impulsively clutched at
