Page 44 (1/2)
Queen of any other faction? Sure, why not!
But these people?
Another ht Melanthe didn’t like the looks of hiht hair and eyes He had one of the beefier builds a the males Where the other Vrekeners struck her as still-waters-run-deep types, this guy seemed smare, four factions of the Lore have declared war on us If we count the Sorceri’s age-old declaration, that brings the total to five"
Just weeks ago, Lanthe would’ve been heartened by this development Now she was part of the us
Even when Thronos was faced with this news, his shoulders remained squared And she wanted to kiss hie demons, the House of Witches, the Dacians, and not unexpectedly the Deathly Ones" Though conveying distressing news, Cadmus sounded almost thrilled
Did war turn him on?
Thronos’s eyes narrowed "What do we know about these enee," Jasen answered Lanthe supposed that Vrekener wasn’t too bad Compared to Cadmus, Jasen struck her as a levelheaded font of reason "The Dacians live in a secreted real up co is Lothaire, the Enemy of Old"
Lothaire? Like a bad penny!
Thronos turned to her "You know him"
"I do If we can deliver a ue"
Thronos told her, "We have a station on the ground, with "
"Good I don’t knohy he would declare war It see of the Deathly Ones is a Dacian royal We believe Lothaire is backing his relative"
"I expected the rage demons to declare war," Thronos said Because of me "Now it becomes clear why the Deathly Ones and the Dacians have But what of the House of Witches? Are they not in the Vertas alliance? The House has always maintained an uneasy truce with the Vrekeners, no matter how closely their faction is related to the Sorceri"
Historically, witches and Sorceri hadn’t been chued "We don’t knohy they call us enemy"
Lanthe did She’d bet Carrow had survived the island and was still trying to get Lanthe’s back I knew I liked that witch
Cadainst the vaht to crush the Deathly Ones If the Dacians want a e can give the"
Thronos intoned, "You’re quick to ar for a kingdoiven no death rites--because the vaift of your brother’s head to the princess in that sick de the gruesome news
Lanthe squeezed Thronos’s hand He had to be freaking inside, but he appeared undaunted
Turning to Cadmus, she said, "You want to crush the Deathly Ones? Those deth with each kill they s on Plus, their kingdoainst Vrekeners As for the Dacians, they’re fairlyLothaire alone is e
"The Sorceri seek to ith us," Cad Thronos as if Lanthe hadn’t even spoken "Yet noe have one of them as queen? How can we be sure where her loyalties lie?"
Oh, it’s on "My loyalties lie with Thronos," Lanthe declared "I’ll do everything within my power to protect him and his interests" --By the way, Cadreean to swirl around her just as Thronos snapped, "Your queen has spoken, and you will not doubt her"
Cad from her You left her empowered?" Others looked stunned by this as well "When I’ve felt her very sorcery co about? --When has he felt my sorcery?--
--He ith me in Louisiana e ambushed you last year Jasen as well--
Oops
Cadmus pounded his fist on the table "She must be disempowered to walk freely in our realm It’s the law!"
In an eerily caled that law, General Cadmus Get up to speed"
When Cado off, Jasen hastily said, "We have burdened our regents with much unwelcome news" He turned to them "Your new apartments in the Hall have been readied"
Thronos hesitated, so she said: --Cadht now, Thronos, our arroup off the battlefield--
With a kingly air, he stood "I’ve much to think about We’ll reconvene later"
As she and Thronos walked frohts lined the aisle, lifting their wings above it like an arc of swords Even Cads; didn’t mean she could tolerate anyone else’s
--Easy, Lanthe--
She held her breath until she’d gotten out fro talons
The adjoining royal residence was built on a higher protrusion of rock, a wide stairwell leading to it Inside, there were er, but the space was still fairly bare
As Thronos showed her around, his thoughts obviously preoccupied, she re in Ho just short of it "Froe of the island I don’t want you to be afraid"
"I’ hts was difficult when she kneould always catch her