* * * * *
“Why are you shouting at me?” Lilt dar Joon demanded.
North seethed within his Shadow form, his dislike of Lilt growing with each word the Ontarian uttered. “If I hadn’t spent so much time with you and that whore, I would have been there to—”
“Protect your whore?”
“Aila is the least of my concerns. She is one piece in a much larger puzzle.” North closed his hands into fists to keep from pummeling his companion. After learning the specifics of the current situation in the maze, North returned to Fortress Joon. “E’Lanna is gone. Echo is gone. And Varrik is gone!”
“None of which has anything to do with me.” Lilt’s volume grew right alongside North’s, sending fury sizzling through the elder. Lilt better learn to show the proper respect, or there would be many more violations of the treaty!
“Despite my frustration, I’m not here to place blame.” His voice sounded dark and strained. “South is campaigning against me.”
“South has been threatening to take control of the maze ever since you killed your brother.”
North solidified his fist and punched Lilt squarely in the jaw, snapping his head to the side. A mental compulsion would have been more efficient, but North welcomed the pain. That was the problem with allies. They inevitably created loose ends.
“Have you lost your mind?!” Lilt covered his jaw with his hand and stared at North’s shadowy form. “How the hell did you do that?”
Heaving an exasperated sigh, North purged the tension from his mind. The “accident” that established his claim to Tribe North was ancient history. He needed to think, to plan. All these emotions were distorting his reason. “You’ve frequently asked me for an opportunity to shift your son’s allegiance.”
“I’m listening.”
“I will allow Lor into the Shadow Maze under the pretext of rescuing the twins.”
“But the twins aren’t in the maze.”
“Lor doesn’t know that.”
“Go on.”
“During the course of this rescue, Lor will encounter and kill Elder South.”
Lilt held up his first two fingers. “Two questions. How will you make my peace-loving son commit murder, and how will murdering your enemy sway Lor’s allegiance?”
“I’m going to locate Elder South, sear the life from his treacherous body, and leave him for Lor to find.”
“All right. How will this turn Lor away from the Mystics?”
“Lor will plead his innocence, but the evidence against him will be incontrovertible.” North relaxed, pleased with his new plan. “When the Mystics look at him with doubt and disappointment, and Tribe South demands his blood, you will swoop in to rescue your wayward son. If he foolishly refuses your assistance, you can always let Tribe South execute him.”
“You have a truly diabolical mind.”
“Thank you.”
“Will I finally get to see the Shadow Maze?”
North stared at Lilt, all the possibilities scrolling through his mind. “If all goes as planned, South will be destroyed once and for all, and Lor will never realize you were involved in any of this.”
Lilt seemed a bit disappointed. “How long will it take to set up?”
“I’m not sure. If Varrik takes the twins directly to their parents, it will force my hand. I’d rather give South time to rally his men. They must be in the mood for distraction when they find South’s burnt corpse.”
Royal Obsession (Shadow Assassins 1) Page 23
