Sword of Shadows
Page 38
Unable to endure the weight of the moment, Taesara sank to the floor. Oh, sweet Thunder, help me. “What is this unbearable work of the Gods? How has such a thing come to pass?”
“That is an amusing story to tell.” Penamor knelt at her side. The smell of leather and horse stung her senses. “The wizard Tzeremond often said that the magas always betray their own, and so that old hawk’s wisdom has once again proven true. The Witch Queen’s greatest student, a maga warrior by the name of Ghemena, broke into Eliasara’s prison with two of her companions. They slew the Mage King’s guards and brought the Princess to Roenfyn, to me. Now the magas stand with us, ready to fight.”
“Who else?” Fire surged through Taesara’s veins. “Who else stands with Roenfyn?”
“Galia has agreed to support our cause, and new messengers have been dispatched to Antaria. We await their response. We also have allies inside Moisehén: noble families whose loyalty I have cultivated in secret; mages who pretend to serve King Akmael; and others among the Witch Queen’s guard who are anxious to see the line of Mage Kings dissolved. This is our moment, Taesara. Your moment. To exact vengeance on the King of Moisehén and his villainous harlot, to kill their bastards, and to see your daughter and all her descendants claim the Crown of Vortingen.”
Taesara straightened her back, withdrawing from her uncle’s grasp and taking deep breaths as she tried to steady her pulse. After a moment, she leveled her gaze at him. “I don’t care about any of that, Uncle. All I want is to see my daughter.”
A smile of triumph touched his lips. “As well I knew you would.”