by Radu Aldea
“I have the resources to recruit a significant number of soldiers only for a short time. After the wealth I accumulated is gone I don’t have a way to support them,” Gunnar replied.
“It would only have to be for a year, two at most, and we will be happy to contribute if you have used all your gold, because you recruited more soldiers than you planned,” Sarah told him.
“So what you are saying is that you want to have other armies ready just in case you lose the ones you already have. You are preparing for a lengthy war, aren’t you?” The old man was understandably cautious.
There was going to be a war, its length yet undetermined. It could end quickly or drag on for years, nobody dared venture a guess. Gunnar was undoubtedly right about Sarah’s motives. The Arvillii and the Metteli had been hoarding gold and food the last two years, precisely with the thought of war in mind. Aleyna was vaguely aware that Reyna and Marcia were taking steps to increase the military. And now she found out how they were going to do it: through loyal human lords or barons they had under control. It was easier this way. Young men were reluctant to serve senators, but that was not a problem with their own kind.
This was the moment when Aidan and his shadow, Matthew, decided to make an appearance. Aleyna would’ve stopped him if she could, only it was too late by the time she saw them. You didn’t have to be a genius to know Christian and Aidan would lock horns. Her friend had been waiting since Hilderfort for this. There was going to be mockery and sarcasm as well.
“What are you doing here?” Sarah probably sounded less harsh than she wanted. It seemed Christian was not the only one holding on to resentment. Aidan’s trip had been ill-conceived and he did trespass on their territory, but he probably meant well…
“I have the right to be here, just like you do,” Aidan answered haughtily.
“You may have the right to be here, but you didn’t in Hilderfort, and there you were.”
“I apologize for my intrusion. If I had been able to contact any of you, I would’ve asked for permission, but you were nowhere to be found. I didn’t mean to take over anything. I just wanted to know why a priest whose teachings are dangerous is permitted to run around in your city. At first I thought you were busy with other things, which is understandable given the circumstances, and then I found you there and now here. Why is this priest still alive?”
“Is he a senator?” Gunnar asked Aleyna and she confirmed it. “I had business dealings with him and I never knew. My guess, he is not dead because he is more trouble than he looks and killing him won’t solve your problem. That’s why these two are here.”
There was something to what the old man had just said. Aleyna decided not to kill Ilan because she thought the priest would lead them to the person pulling the strings. So far, that had not happened. And it wasn’t going to happen. They were brought here and although the trip had not been unfruitful it was another dead end in their search for the puppet-master. Yet there was an explanation, a much too obvious one as far as she was concerned, because if someone was smart enough to find a way to counter senatorial power that someone would be smart enough to hide. But why send Ilan to the province where he was least likely to be successful?
“That’s not really your concern, is it? If we say he lives you will do well to listen.”
Aidan didn’t like Christian’s tone. “As I see it, with Kara dead you don’t wave around as big a stick as you used to. And with so many of your troops in the east I thought you would welcome the help and be a little more cooperative. The priest concerns all of us, not only you.”
“Even with so many of our troops in the east, we still have more than enough to eviscerate your little house, don’t forget that,” Sarah countered. “And since he decided to share his teachings in our city, I say it does concern us more than it does you.”
“Enough! He’s alive because I said so.” Their constant bickering was preventing her from thinking and Aleyna felt she was on the verge of something important.
“Can he actually do what he claims?” Aleyna didn’t see a reason for not answering Aidan and apparently Sarah agreed because she nodded. Unsurprisingly, this was not enough for the Valerian. “Perhaps you should let me try. It can’t do any harm, can it?”
“You think you can actually succeed where we have failed? Are you forgetting that we are more powerful than you? We can do anything you can and more.”
“Your arrogance is astounding. Are you forgetting I also can do everything you can?”
Aleyna had been so used to Kara, who didn’t have an equal in Western Suttland, that this type of posturing was unfamiliar to her. Even the disagreements between Christian and Sarah didn’t change that, but they weren’t that severe. Of course, Aidan was part of another house that might become hostile. Still, they needed all the allies they could get.
“Let him try if he wants, but when he fails the priest stays with us,” Aleyna wanted to end the discussion. “Remember, we aren’t supposed to draw attention to ourselves.”
Which made everybody laugh. “So says the woman who demonstrated skills beyond those of the three masters in the manor,” Aidan joked.
“Say that again!” Something the Valerian prince said jogged something in her mind.
Aleyna must’ve sounded threatening because Gunnar felt the need to explain. “He was not present earlier when we discussed this was the best solution you could find. The duke wants to take over her lands because he thought they no longer are under senatorial protection given the two deaths. A mistake that cost a man his life.”
“All true, but that’s not what I meant. He just said something that is really important and I can’t figure out what it was. So please, Aidan, repeat what you just told me.”
“I found it endearing that the woman who just demonstrated superior fighting skills than those of the three masters in the house didn’t want to attract attention to herself.”
There it was. Aidan didn’t repeat exactly what he had said before, but the word that intrigued her was there. “It’s a demonstration someone can make humans immune to senators. He sends the priest and when senators kill him in any way that doesn’t show they can control him, it’s his proof. You kill the first priest and I guarantee another will pop up with this exact message.”
They were looking at each other and Aleyna didn’t know if they thought she was insane or brilliant. “Damn, I should’ve thought of that. It would explain a lot of things,” Sarah spoke.
“So you all agree someone sent the priest here to sow dissent?”
“No,” Aleyna answered Aidan. “We couldn’t agree on anything. Christian and I thought that, Sarah thought he was immune like the sorceresses and Thea thinks a god is responsible. After all, senatorial histories speak of imperatives from the White Goddess now and then.”
“We agree now! Somebody is recruiting and thinks Suttland is weak. They sent the priest here so he can create a base of followers for them to choose from and they sent that man to create the spark that would ignite a conflict between humans. Yes, as I said before there was more than one reason to kill him,” Sarah said looking at Aidan and Gunnar.
“If someone can make people immune to us we have a serious problem,” Aidan said.
“Yes, but it also means that whoever they are they don’t have access to the manpower or are limited either by the length of the process or the number of immune they can make.”
“It has to be the sorceresses. Everything leads to them,” Christian added.
Aleyna was not sure. During the Great War wizards didn’t manage to do something like this and sorceresses were supposed to be weaker. They did have talents the wizards didn’t, though. “Maybe it’s just a place where they can conduct their experiments without senators finding out. The Land between the Rivers and Veneguard are perfect for it.”
“If it’s not the sorceresses, who else is there?” Sarah asked a rhetorical question.
Sarah was right. There were no other suspects, but she still wasn’t su
re. Aleyna warned Gunnar not to tell anyone about this and to start recruiting soldiers. There was no longer the question they needed them. Sarah was going to make sure the old man obeyed.
“When you told me to leave the city or die were you flirting with me?” Aidan asked when he got her alone. Aleyna’s answer was a mysterious smile. “Maybe!”
Chapter thirty-three
What they felt inside that villa frightened them. When Tamzin and Alexandra learned Lucian agreed to see them, they had been happy. They didn’t give much credence to the rumors about the powers of the new generation of senators. Now they knew they were true.
“So are you sure you want to go in there?” Alexandra asked Tamzin.
“Yes!” The empress didn’t sound so certain and Alexandra couldn’t blame her. The amount of power in that villa was something they hadn’t seen before, not even in the most powerful wizards. They had only expected to meet Lucian, but there were two of them in there, equally powerful. The sorceresses did not expect that.
It had been a hassle to go through the Gap. But as difficult as it had been then, it would’ve been much worse if they had waited. More armies moved in after they had crossed. The news was becoming increasingly disquieting as more soldiers from all three provinces poured into Ornulf’s Gap. Alexandra didn’t know how many were in there at this moment, but it had to be more than twenty thousand.
“Maybe it’s not such a great idea. They are more powerful than we thought and may be able to take over us. Our immunity has not been tested with them,” Alexandra said but she wasn’t sure they could turn back now. They had come too far. In the middle of the plain the villa dominated the area. The two sorceresses were not used to a landscape where everything was flat and there were no landmarks, except for the villa. This was Essland.
Alexandra didn’t think she had seen an area as heavily patrolled. They had encountered scouting parties before, but as they came within ten miles of the villa, their numbers increased significantly. Lucian must’ve not felt very secure lately, which was not surprising.
They had not long arrived in Essland when one of these groups caught up with them. Julian had sent their request for a meeting, but they didn’t wait for an answer. Theoretically, nothing prevented them from traveling wherever they wished, but trespassing on senatorial land was not a good idea. Not if they didn’t have permission. This group, unlike others, was looking for them and brought the news Lucian agreed to the meeting. They offered to accompany them to the villa, which they declined. Surprisingly, the men left the two sorceresses alone. Alexandra guessed that if you were a senator of Lucian’s power you didn’t need to send people to guard them. He could find them any time he liked if he raised a senatorial net. They perfected this weapon to catch wizards during the war and it was equally effective against sorceresses.
“We’ll find out, because you can be sure he will try to take over us,” Tamzin answered. “This was bound to happen sooner or later and there is no better time than now.”
Lucian’s villa was different than Julian’s. That one was built so its owner would enjoy all the amenities and luxuries possible. It was an incredible place to live in. At first glance one would think Julian was wealthier than Lucian. Although it was possible, Alexandra thought it doubtful. Lucian’s power was blinding. It blazed like a supernova. This structure was smaller and it wasn’t as luxurious or inviting. There were other considerations why the incredibly powerful senator decided to make it his home. The villa wasn’t impregnable, but it was heavily fortified.
The number of guards and servants was surprising. Considering two very powerful senators were in there, they had a very small retinue. Most of their guards must’ve been out there scouting. Alexandra couldn’t think of another explanation, but one would think he would have more soldiers to protect him from them. It didn’t look Lucian was taking this seriously.
Lucian made an impression. In his late twenties, handsome and mysterious, the eyes betrayed a cold intellect. Meeting Julian and other senators had been unsettling, but that was nothing compared to facing Lucian. Alexandra just wanted to stand up and run. She wondered if the empress was having the same reaction. Right now he was trying to break through whatever mental blocks some of the sisters, including her, had that kept the senators away. She was afraid he might’ve been successful. Would she even know if he had? Alexandra hoped so.
The second person to greet them was not what the sorceress expected. She was a bit rotund and not very pretty. If she lost some weight she still wouldn’t be any prettier and she knew it. It was unusual because all the senators Alexandra had met were fit and attractive. She was almost sorry for the girl, who couldn’t have been more than eighteen, but then she remembered before her stood a senator of immense power that matched Lucian’s. She was as cold as ruthless as the rest of them and Alexandra would do well not to forget it.
“What can I do for the mighty Conclave?” Lucian was mocking them. He had no respect. For him they were an insect he hadn’t crushed yet. It wasn’t difficult to be so arrogant when you had so much power. He shouldn’t have been. Right now, she could kill him. Sure, that would probably mean the end of the Conclave and no sane sister would take that risk, but he shouldn’t have been so confident. There was no guarantee she wasn’t crazy. By being there, Alexandra proved she might be because no sane sister would take that chance.
“We are concerned about the latest events and decided it was time to open channels of communications with the important senators.” Tamzin wasn’t exactly lying, but she wasn’t telling the truth either. Most of the sisters would love to see the Order implode.
“Am I to understand that the Conclave has abandoned its policy of neutrality?”
“No, you may not! As we said, we are concerned and would like to offer our help as a neutral party.” Alexandra decided to follow Tamzin’s lead. It would not be the first time sorceresses acted as arbiters. The senators, although mistrustful of each other, wouldn’t allow someone they perceived weaker in such a position, she was sure of that.
“There’s no need to be concerned. This will all blow over soon,” Lucian reassured them.
Oddly enough, they didn’t feel reassured. Lucian acted like he didn’t have a care in the world. It was as if the ten thousand soldiers from Suttland didn’t exist and most certainly were not in the Gap. If Julian hadn’t been so scared they might’ve been fooled.
“As we understand it you are the second most likely suspect for the murder of the two Suttland senators and the soldiers who have crossed the mountains are here for you.”
Lucian laughed. Tamzin had not been able to impress him. “You are mistaken. The soldiers in the Gap are looking for some humans. We cannot allow the inferior races to think they can attack us without consequences. That’s why the troops are there.”
Either the senator was the world’s greatest liar, or he really believed what he was saying. Alexandra was betting he was the world’s greatest liar. It was true that was how Suttland had justified its invasion and there hadn’t been any clashes thus far, but Lucian was not fooling anyone. There was only one reason Suttland would send so many soldiers: conquest. And senators as powerful as Lucian were not naïve enough to fall for such a flimsy excuse.
“I heard you did it,” the other senator spoke. She had not introduced herself yet, but her accent hinted at Cuttland origins. So Cuttland and Essland finally solved their differences and found a common enemy. “I don’t know if I should congratulate you or kill you.”
“Why so?” The empress wasn’t admitting anything, she was just curious.
“I’m just glad someone put that self-righteous bitch in the ground. On the other hand, two senators were killed and we can’t let something like that remain unanswered.”
“I’m Alexandra Stormayer. I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”
“Lena Casta!” That explained a lot. Julian named the Casti as suspects towards the end of his list, but perhaps Lena deserved a more prominent position.
She was definitely one of this new powerful senators and obviously hated Kara. Somehow Alexandra didn’t think Julian was aware of the girl’s abilities. He would’ve put her at the top of his list then.
“Kara was many things but self-righteous wasn’t one of them,” Lucian answered her.
“Of course she was. And everybody is happy she is dead, her family included. She imposed all kind of rules on them and tried to do the same to all of us.”
“I hardly think that is true!” The sorceresses rather enjoyed this little argument. They learned so much that way. Obviously the alliance between Lucian and Lena was not as strong as they would like and it would be over the moment the threat that loomed over them, meaning Julia, was gone. They weren’t sure who was right and who was wrong, probably both were right and wrong at the same time, life was complicated that way, but it was a revelation to watch them. As secretive as the senators were, it was instructive to see them so forthcoming.
“I’m glad the bitch is dead, you are glad she’s dead, Marcia’s glad because she became the head of the family, the Valerii are glad because they are free of the naked blade hanging over their heads and Julia killed her, so you can be sure she is ecstatic.”
“I’m not glad Kara’s dead. I would be much happier if Julia were gone. Why don’t you make up your mind? First you say the Conclave did it, now you blame Julia. I’m not so sure of either. Truthfully, I’m impressed by whoever did it. It’s not easy to get close enough to Kara. Sure, Julia could, but at the same time people would know she was there. Marcia would not be helping her then, and make no mistake, some of the soldiers in the Gap are from the west.”
“You see a contradiction where there is none. My guess is that the lovely Julia, who is just as self-righteous as the other bitch, and I know you would be happier if she were dead, but you are happy enough with Kara too, has a few sorceresses under her control. For all we know it is these two. You shouldn’t have allowed them in here. We have nothing to discuss with them.”