by Eric Vall
Aeris narrowed his eyes slightly. “I hear you have worked in the aid of the dwarves to the north,” he said, but his tone was more accusing than impressed.
I tried to ignore it. “I did,” I told him evenly. “The Elders of Aurum were well pleased with my efforts on behalf of the dwarven race. I learned a lot from them. Do you know the Elders?”
Aeris looked down his crooked nose. “Of course I know the elders of Aurum,” he replied. “They have reigned nearly as long as myself, though with much less to show for it.”
I nodded. “I believe there are some amongst the Elders who have reigned much longer than that,” I added as I thought of a way to nudge the conversation in the direction I wanted. “Every race seems to have their own ways of going about things, though. So far, the dwarves have proven to be very generous with their knowledge, and their superior ability to move ahead to dispel the dangers that threaten their race is truly impressive.”
Aeris’ lip twitched with irritation. “It isn’t often one hears the term superior attributed to the dwarves,” he said thickly.
“Well,” I countered, “I think putting the good of their race ahead of their own sense of importance is an undeniable mark of superiority.”
Cayla discreetly nudged my arm, and I knew I was probably treading on thin ice, but I also knew how much the elves valued their delusions of superiority above all others. If anything could shake them out of their silence, it was challenging this point.
It worked, of course.
Aeris shifted in his seat and leaned forward a measure. “Superiority over whom?” he challenge.
I shrugged. “Anyone who doesn’t value their place of power enough to use it effectively for the good of others.”
The head of House Quyn seemed to want to end the conversation, and he interrupted. “Power is a matter of perspective,” he tried. “We believed the head of House Syru was an immensely powerful elf, for example, and yet he was brought down by a mere mage.”
I cocked a brow at the condescending elf, but tried to remain unphased. “Yes, who would have thought a … mere mage would be up to a challenge the elves were unable to pull off.”
Aeris was more intrigued now, and he settled back against his seat as he considered me carefully. “I heard of House Natyr’s failings,” he said with a sneer. “Tell me, how did you do it?”
“I shot him with Princess Balmier’s gun,” I replied.
“But how did you do it?” Aeris asked more persistently. “Surely, it was not so simple as this.”
I nodded as I considered the strange glint in the leader’s silver eyes, and I caught a small movement from the corner of the room.
When I glanced toward Dragir, the elf looked intently back at me, and I decided to feel out the situation carefully.
“Well,” I said to Aeris, “it wasn’t as simple as that, no. He was powerful.”
“In what way?”
“It’s hard to explain,” I admitted. “I know very little about the ways of the elves. What do you know about the head of House Syru? Maybe you can help clear up my confusion.”
Aeris’s eyes flared lightly, but he did a good job of masking his thoughts. “I know nothing of House Syru,” he told me flatly.
Beside him, the leader of House Quyn kept his eyes on the short table between us.
There was no chance this was true, given that the invitation to meet with the two of them had praised my efforts for the good of the elven race. They knew more than either of them was apparently willing to share right now.
So, I kept my own knowledge to myself as well.
“I see,” I said with a nod, and I let out a disappointed sigh. “That’s a shame. I was intrigued by him, but now that he’s gone, it seems we’ll all be left to wonder.”
Aeris and his counterpart exchanged quick glances. “Many mysteries can be solved, I’m sure,” Aeris admitted. “Perhaps if you explain what happened, we’ll be able to come to some conclusions. After all, there are many years of knowledge between the two of us.” He gestured to the head of House Quyn, and the leader bowed graciously. Then Aeris continued. “Of course, my knowledge is more likely to be of use to you, Mason Flynt. House Quyn is ancient, but they do not possess the ancestral wisdom which my House has carried for thousands of years. They are of a different class of house, as I’m sure you have become aware.”
I raised my brows as I glanced to the head of House Quyn, and his insult was etched all over his haggard face. He looked like he’d like to say many things to Aeris, as well. His deep purple eyes narrowed down at the table while he apparently decided where to start, but Aeris seemed to notice his irritation.
“Now, Qiran,” he said patronizingly. “Don’t take offense. I only speak truths. Your line is not of much relevance, whereas my own father fought in the great wars to ensure the survival of House Aelin, and his father before him helped to write the very laws of Nalnora over four thousand years ago. Forgive my bluntness, but your father was little more than a blacksmith.”
“My father crafted the ancestral weapons of the Elite armies for nearly one thousand years,” Qiran spat. “He forged the first Halcyan Blade which your father’s army wielded in the great wars. He ensured the survival of the elven race during the rise of the Gorak Knights as well, and if it were not for his mastery, your House would have fallen to the Knights before you were even born.”
“Yes, yes,” Aeris allowed half-heartedly. “We owe much to your father, Qiran. However, when it comes to the more relevant ancestral wisdom of the elves, his talents are relatively useless. He did not pass down any wisdom which could possibly compare in importance to the wisdom of the Elite houses.”
The word “useless” seemed to ignite a fury in the head of House Quyn, and he ground his jaw while Aeris looked on smugly. Then he abruptly addressed his son, who looked nearly as pissed as him from his place against the wall.
“Dragir,” Qiran said. “Where is Deya?”
Dragir narrowed his eyes slightly and didn’t immediately respond. When he did, his voice was guarded in a way I hadn’t heard from him before. “Deya has no wisdom of the Elite Houses either,” he assured his father, but Qiran glowered at his cheeky response.
“Have her join us,” he ordered.
Aeris looked almost eager as he watched the exchange between the two, and when Dragir finally stood to head for the hall, the head of House Aelin suddenly seemed to forget his condescending speeches.
“It has been many years since I had the honor of seeing your beautiful daughter,” Aeris told Qiran, and his demeanor was open and amiable as he continued. “Tell me, is she in good health?”
Now, Qiran looked smug, and he leveled his counterpart with a stern look. “Deya flourishes more with each passing year,” he replied coldly.
“I am sure she does,” Aeris said, and he actually offered the head of House Quyn a deep bow. “She is a rare jewel in these jungles. I would expect nothing less. You keep her very well here.”
“I do,” Qiran assured him immodestly.
I furrowed my brow as I tried to keep up with the shifting atmosphere. Not two minutes ago the head of House Aelin was diminishing House Quyn’s ancestral line, and now he was all respect and compliments toward the lesser leader.
I cleared my throat and tried to focus the conversation back where it had been heading before the petty leaders went off on a tangent. “You said you still possess the wisdom of your ancestors from thousands of years ago?” I asked Aeris.
The leader didn’t seem as keen to discuss his family line with me as he’d been with Qiran moments before. “Yes,” he said curtly.
“Rune magic must have been used during your own father’s time, then,” I continued.
“Yes,” Aeris replied again, but he waved a dismissive hand as if this was of no importance to the conversation.
“Perhaps you could tell me if he knew of any rune symbols that could influence metal,” I pressed.
Now, I had the leader’s attention, and he
considered me carefully.
“Surely your own magery serves you well enough,” he said guardedly. “I have no knowledge to further your--”
“No, not for me,” I clarified. “It’s only, the head of House Syru seemed able to influence metal. I was wondering if that could possibly be the result of rune magic, maybe the use of a specific symbol.”
The two leaders abandoned their hostility toward one another as I spoke, and they leaned closer without seeming to notice they’d done it.
When Aeris responded, his voice was low. “In what way did he influence metal?”
“He was able to bend metal and move it from one place to another,” I answered, and I made sure to keep my responses vague. “It only took a wave of his hand. This is similar to how magery works, but I don’t think he was a mage. The only other explanation would be rune magic, no?”
The two leaders exchanged tense glances, and Aeris sat back in his chair as he brought his fingertips together thoughtfully. He looked at me for a long time, and I waited him out in the silent room.
The flames from the fire were the only thing that moved, until Dragir reentered. He moved slowly and without making any noise, and I got the impression he didn’t want to attract very much attention.
It hardly mattered. Both leaders were lost in their own thoughts, and Aeris eventually lowered his hands and addressed me again once he’d clasped them in his lap.
“You are correct,” he allowed. “An elf would not possess the magic of a mage. Only the … tainting of elven blood could produce such an anomaly.”
The leader looked toward Aurora as he said this, and the sudden hatred in his expression caught me off guard. Aurora hadn’t expected it either, and she blushed as she looked down.
I was about to respond when Shoshanne spoke up.
“In this case,” the Aer Mage said icily, “it’s lucky for House Quyn such an anomaly exists.” She looked at Qiran pointedly and rose, and I was impressed to see she’d replaced her genuine concern for the leader with a heavy dose of sass. “I think I’ll check on your naticea for you.”
With that, the Aer Mage turned for the wooden doors, and she caught Aurora’s hand in hers before she left the room and went into the garden. She closed the doors firmly behind them, and Cayla tried to hide the smirk that twitched at the corner of her mouth.
I knew Shoshanne’s temper where the half-elf was concerned had been tried a few too many times since we came to Nalnora, but I honestly didn’t expect her to turn it on the two heads of Houses, especially at the first insult of the evening.
But I was glad she did.
Qiran looked embarrassed by the healer’s words as he stared at the place she’d been sitting. Aeris even looked a little uncomfortable, but hardly sorry. Neither one of them looked directly at me anymore, and as I waited for them to muster up the nerve, I noticed Dragir hovering near a window.
He looked carefully at his father, but when he saw me watching him, he turned his gaze toward the jungle instead.
All this silence and condescension …
These guys were serious assholes.
I ground my teeth and thought about the parchments, but after spending the little time I had with the two heads of Houses, I was less and less curious about their input. They clearly didn’t want to give up a scrap of information until I gave up all of my own, and I had no reason to trust the elves to deliver. As much as I disliked Dragir, I was grateful he’d told me to hide the papers when he did.
Dragir casually moved on to another window, and I was about to interrupt his stalking when his father addressed him.
“Where is Deya?” he asked his son.
I turned around, but Dragir hadn’t taken his eyes from the window. He didn’t respond either.
“Dragir,” the father snapped, and his son finally looked over.
“Deya’s resting,” he said blankly.
“Deya may rest at any time,” Qiran shot back angrily. “We have guests, and she is expected to join us here. Go get her.”
I saw the muscle in Dragir’s jaw twitch as his pale pink eyes flashed briefly. He looked furious with his father, and he took deliberately slow strides as he came to join us.
Once he sat down, he finally responded. “She is out.”
“What?” the father growled.
“Deya went for a walk,” Dragir said with a shrug.
The father paled slightly, and his forehead became etched with worry.
“When?” he demanded.
“I do not know,” the son admitted. “She was not in her room.”
Aeris scoffed. “You would misplace your own daughter when you know very well--”
“I have not misplaced my daughter,” Qiran spat. He was flushed with anger and strained to stand as he glared at his son. “Find her, now! How dare you sit here when Deya is roaming the forests unprotected. Go now, and do not return without her.”
Dragir immediately left to do his father’s bidding, but for once, he looked irritated to be sent to rein in his sister. I began to wonder if he didn’t want Deya to join us, and I couldn’t decide if it was because I was here or the head of House Aelin.
Aeris looked deeply disappointed by the news, and he glared at the head of House Quyn. “Honestly, Qiran,” he scoffed. “You act as though you live apart from all of the nation sometimes. Do not be so simple as to think the other Houses don’t think of you and your daughter down here. You cannot let your guard down, especially--”
“I do not need to be told how to run my house,” Qiran countered angrily.
“Apparently you do,” Aeris shot back. “You have a habit of misplacing things, and mark my words, if Deya is not found, House Aelin will--”
“Will what?” Qiran interrupted hotly.
Aeris didn’t respond, and the leader of House Quyn nearly shook with his fury as the two scowled at one another. Then he turned and left the sitting room without another word.
The silver eyes of the head of House Aelin narrowed in a calculating way, and he brooded to himself in silence as if Cayla and I weren’t even there.
The princess looked at me uneasily before she addressed the leader. “I’m sure Deya is simply enjoying some fresh air,” she tried.
Aeris turned his dim expression toward Cayla, but before he could say anything that might infuriate me, I cut in. I was determined to get something useful out of this meeting, and if the head of House Quyn was busy worrying that his daughter might actually enjoy a bit of freedom, I could at least corner the elite leader for a few minutes in private.
“Since House Quyn is clearly inferior,” I began, and I chose my words carefully, “maybe you are the one I should be speaking with. I don’t wish to cause problems between allied Houses, but my encounter with the head of House Syru unsettled me in more than a few ways. I don’t want to cause alarm to those who don’t have a means of addressing the issues, but I do need answers, and quickly.”
Aeris’ eyes sparked with greed, and he looked briefly toward the hallway before he leaned forward. “You are wise in your assessment,” he assured me. “House Quyn cannot provide any wisdom, and if your encounter with the head of House Syru was revealing in anyway, I am sure I can provide you with more useful council.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” I told him. “I’d expect your absolute discretion, of course. The information I have is sensitive and concerns all of the Houses of Nalnora.”
The acute greed on the face of the leader unsettled me now, and he did nothing to mask it. “Then you must confide in me,” he whispered hastily. “As the head of an Elite House, it is my duty to use my unique position to assure the safety of all less fortunate Houses.”
I tried not to smirk as the leader parroted my accusation from earlier. I knew my comment about the superiority of the Elders of Aurum would get to him, and I was pleased to see I’d hit my mark.
His silver eyes burned with determination, and I weighed his greed against my own needs.
I needed someone as hungry for
information as myself if I was going to play the game against these elves and come out with an upper hand. As I considered the desperation in the face of the elite leader, I decided Aeris would be the perfect candidate. He possessed ancient knowledge and was practically drooling for anything that might place him above the others. The parchments in my pocket would no doubt appeal beyond my initial expectations, and if I could use them as leverage, I might be able to get exactly what I needed from Aeris.
I crinkled my brow in concern and pretended to war with my decisions. “Like I said,” I began uneasily, “I don’t wish to cause any trouble amongst allies. House Quyn and yourself should remain in good standing. I only act for the betterment of all. I need to know you’ll help me put this information toward that end, that you will help me protect the rest of the houses.”
“Absolutely,” the leader hissed. His eyes were wide, and his knuckles were white with tension. “I have extensive knowledge passed down by my father and his father before him, as well as numerous assets I would be willing to place at your disposal. With your information and my own position, we will protect all of Nalnora and further our understanding of the dark forces at work amongst us.”
It was an impressive speech, and I fought hard to keep the amusement from my face. The head of House Aelin was certainly quick to offer all, and I could tell he didn’t doubt for a moment I believed every word.
Luckily, I’d already learned my lesson about making deals with the elves, though. House Natyr had made sure of that, and this time I’d be the one with my own agenda.
Cayla even seemed too convinced by my act, and she casually placed a hand on my thigh. Her blue eyes shone with concern, and I could tell she thought I was going too far in confiding in Aeris.
“Don’t worry,” I told her. “I know what I’m doing.”
Cayla looked anything but convinced, so I clasped her hand in mine. It was the way I patted her hand as if she was a child that tipped her off at last. I’d never treat the clever princess like that, and a flicker of clarity came to her face as I turned back toward the elder.
