Chapter 453 (2/2)
Caera leaned forward on her elbows, her ruby eyes intent on the dragon “What about the people of this land? What’s to stop the Wraiths fro hit-and-run strikes across Dicathen to sow discord and chaos? Or, lest we forget e’re really here, attacking the Alacryans consigned to the wasteland beyond the ons’ aid to ensure the Alacryan encampments are defended”
Charon’s brows rose, and a wry smile turned up the corner of his scarred est is a possibility, although Agrona has never used his most potent tools for such menial labor before As for civilian deaths…Lord Indrath’s orders are to prevent Agrona’s forces fro this continent The eest, most influential cities, and the nobility that rules thereele Dicathian life”
“Oh, coether “You have taken pains to involve yourself with the Dicathian public All I asked was that Kezess help me protect this continent, and you could have done that from behind the scenes, but you’ve chosen to work directly with the people, building relationshi+ps and trust” I paused for ato turn public perception away froons and your allies—such as the Glayders If you allow Wraiths to roaood will you’ve been trying to foster?”
This question gave hiht away, so Windsouided the people of Dicathen for generation after generation Always, we have sought to ensure that they were on equal footing with Agrona’s people That’s e’re still trying to do”
I looked over Caera and Sylvie to azes with Windsom “You concentrated power in a few farowth through the Lance artifacts But then, you did so silently This playing for public perception is new What are you getting out of it? Surely it’s h the belief of their subjects,” I added,so crass,” Charon interjected, giving ht-lipped smile “But it is iood would it be for us to keep them safe if they the without belief in their own future? As for your popularity…” His shtly saw that split loyalty between you as this deified protector and ender hostility between Dicathians We have atte the leadershi+p of people like the Glayder siblings”
I nodded along, not buying a word of what Charon said His excuse was as well-spoken and sensible as it was coht hier had never included the adoration of Dicathen’s populace, and I’d actively pushed back against the “deification” that Charon ardless,” Caera inserted into the briefCharon’s speech, “your lord’s strategy see a deterrent, but e’ve learned proves that strategy has already failed We’ve been here for over two days, and you still haven’t explained what you’re going to do to help protect the Alacrya refugees in Elenoir”
Windsom scoffed, but Charon was ht” We waited for hi
Through the silence that followed, I feltpurposefully toward the drawing room Charon and Windsom had already noticed as well, and Windsom moved toward the door
“In here?” a richly fe rooardedwith each barely controlled breath She took a couple halting steps into the cha across the nature weak
I pushed myself out of my seat “What happened?”
She opened her ht in her throat and she looked away
Kathyln was standing uncertainly in the hall behind her “She flew in, clai,” Windso at Kathyln, who shrank back “Why have you allowed this Vritra pawn so deep within the palace?”
“Peace,” Charon said softly “There has been an attack, hasn’t there?” His gaze flicked to me just as mine went to him, our eyes connected for the briefest instant
“The Wraiths…” I said, the words alroan as they escaped my lips
Lyra shook her head, then nodded Her eyes squeezed tightly shut, her teeth bared in an anih those clenched teeth she said, “Oludari and the Wraiths…”
I felt ether in confusion “Olu…dari?”
“One of Agrona’s Sovereigns,” Caera said Her face was pale, her red eyes locked on Lyra as she half stood, then slowly sank back down onto the couch, her hands going to her face
“There was a Sovereign here in Dicathen?” I felt out of sorts, like I wassome important context of this conversation “Lyra, I need you to focus Tell me what happened Please,” I addedone here a few bottles and glasses rested He poured a glass full of red liquid and held it out for Lyra
It took her a moment to notice, but when she did her nose wrinkled in apparent disgust Her hand flinched toward the glass, and for ato knock it out of Charon’s hand, but she seeain
Sing heavily, she looked past the dragon and focused on ent This wasn’t how…it hasn’t been…”
She took a deep breath and stood up straighter Charon slowly lowered the glass and took a step back to give her son Oludari of Truaci arrived at one of the encamping was difficult to rona, in was behind the death of Sovereign Exeges and would be co for him as well”
My confusion only deepened as she spoke “Why would Agrona be killing off his own allies? Especially his most powerful ones?” I looked at Charon and Windsoed an unreadable look, so between them “I can’t be certain,” Charon said after a moment, “but the basilisks have never been loyal Not to the, said so unfinished” Lyra’s brows knitted as she concentrated “He said there were ‘layers to the world,’ and that he had ‘felt the rising surface tension of a bubble ready to burst—’”
“The ravings of a paranoid lunatic,” Windsoronahins, seeing the others fall one by one likely drove him to desperate o jumped to the forefront of h Sovereign hin Khaernos hasn’t been seen publicly in decades He’s son…”
“We believe he is dead,” Windsorona’s fratricide I don’t know or particularly care”
The chamber went silent for a ht with suppressed emotion “The Wraiths were not far behind Oludari Four of thee, destroyed…so aze, which had drifted to the floor, snapped up and burrowed into me, desperation written in the lines of her face “You, Arthur They blamed you Said that…”
“They were there because I diverted the attack on Etistin,” I finished for her
She nodded Finally, sheinto it, her face in her hands “They defeated hi”
Charon’s expression intensified “What warning?”
“That—” Lyra ground her teeth together, cutting herself off Glancing froain “That this wasn’t over They left us alive because…because Agrona wanted to kill us hiarded her She was lying, I was alons to knohat the Wraiths really said
‘Which likely er their continued protection of the Alacryans,’ Sylvie added
‘For all the good that protection seeis chi so from her di it to you immediately”
I carefully lifted a s by the silky texture and the off-white coloration, I was confident it was carved of bone A blood-stained rune had been etched into its surface, and it e on the mana, I probed it with my aether Immediately, another source oflike a distant bell Oludari…
‘It’s carved fro the disc in my hand
“Did Seris knohat this artifact is?” I asked Lyra She nodded
I ran the pad of es where the rune was etched
Caera, who had waited and watched, still as stone as she listened to the retainer’s explanation, took a shaky breath “Isher for the first time “I don’t know”
“Arthur, we need to return to the Alacryan villages I…” She paused as if considering her words, alhts “I need to make sure Corbett, Lenora, and the others are safe”
“Give Lyra a ave e, crestfallen look but quickly covered it up “Of course”
To Charon, I said, “Those Alacryans need help I understand your hesitation, but an attack is no longer so They laid down their arrona’s wrath”
Charon eyed er they pose?” I asked erous they becorona because we abandoned them on our own shores”
Charon’s eyes hardened, and through the scars I suddenly saw his resemblance to Kezess “Alternatively, ould happen if we proactively eradicated the potential risk that these refugees pose and be done with it”
Caera’s and Lyra’s heads both snapped around, their faces going pale
“General Aldir followed Kezess’s orders to shed innocent blood as well,” I said, speaking slowly and letting the words hang in the air
“How dare you…” Windso the wind out of Caera and Lyra
Regis and Sylvie remained deathly still and calestured Windsoons and adjust the patrol routes through the Beast Glades But ill be watching these ‘refugees’ just asthem”
I held out my hand, and he took it firet there safely as well, would you?” Ininstructions to Sylvie as well
Charon nodded again then released , Arthur?”
Turning toward the door, I again pinged the artifact, gauging the location of the distant ringing response “It’s ill be doing, Guardian”