Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 3376

Shiloh asked quietly, "How did you two end up together?"

Nyx replied coolly, "He pursued me. In the end, he wouldn't leave me alone, so I agreed."

Shiloh did not quite believe that, but she said calmly, "If you didn't like him, then why stay by his side and risk your life with him? If I were you, I would have turned around and gone back to the Outlands."

Nyx let out a sharp laugh. "That's why you're not me. You have no idea what I'm thinking. But I know exactly what you're thinking. Don't think that just because you had his child, you're special. Later on, I can give him one too."

Shiloh's smile turned cold. "Can you guarantee you'd give him a son, though? The Lloyd royal family isn't some ordinary household. A son is the one who stands to carry everything forward."

Nyx shot back without missing a beat. "That's pretty outdated thinking, don't you think? Who says it has to be a son? Sheena Lloyd is a woman, and she's about to take over as head of the family. So don't tell me a daughter can't hold her own."

Shiloh gave a slight shrug. "Maybe where you come from, men and women are treated the same. But in Holtrien, it's different. Having a son carries more weight, and that's just the reality. Old-fashioned? Maybe. But it's still true."

Nyx refused to back down. "Fine. If one child isn't enough, I'll have three, or four. If it really comes down to it, I'll have ten. That should cover it."

Shiloh went completely silent.

Nyx's own face flushed the moment the words left her mouth, realizing she had taken things a little too far. A beat of quiet passed between them as they both stared down at the enemy camp below, still and dark in the distance.

Then Nyx exhaled softly. "Look. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be picking a fight with you. We're standing here side by side, about to go into battle together, and here I'm starting drama. You raised Remyn on your own from the beginning, Shiloh. I genuinely respect that. And Remyn is a sweetheart. I already love that kid."

Shiloh had not expected the shift, and for a moment, she just let it sit. Then a small, genuine smile crossed her face.

She admitted, "I'm not usually the type to let people in easily, but the fact that you love Remyn is enough for me. I'm done competing with you."

They looked at each other, a quiet sense of mutual respect forming between them. Then, both of them blushed and turned away at the same time.

Nyx cleared her throat. "For the record, Andrew didn't chase me down. I liked him too. I just didn't want to admit it back then."

Shiloh smiled. "I know."

However, Andrew did not shut off the floodlights. Instead, he took control of one and flashed it three times toward the hillside.

That was the signal for a full assault.

The chaos they created was massive.

Only then did the blaring alarm erupt. Red lights flashed, and the siren wailed like a ghostly scream across the entire allied camp.

In the central command room, Azrael jolted awake instantly. He yanked open the curtains and saw explosions and flames tearing through the camp outside.

Fury exploded in his eyes. "How dare they! They're asking for death. All units, assemble immediately and counterattack!"