by Eric Vall
“Which is why I wanted to speak with you,” I explained. “The Elven Council dismissed the threat of the Master pretty quickly, but I’ve seen proof he’s been in contact with at least one of the members of that Council. Which is concerning, don’t you agree?”
Aeris nodded curtly. “You say proof of contact … what proof is this?”
“He told me himself,” I replied. “He expressed quite a bit of admiration for the Master’s work.”
“That is not proof to the Elven Council,” Aeris countered. “Was there anything in this chamber, anything that might suggest what the leader of House Syru was involved in?”
“There was the leader of course.” Aeris seemed determined to root out the contents of the room more than the head of House Syru’s abilities, but I steered the conversation once more. “Like I said, he strangled me from across the room. Seeing as your own wisdom is extensive, maybe you could tell me if you know any runes that could give someone that sort of power. As you’ve already pointed out, it’s clearly not magery.”
Aeris sat back and folded his hands once more while he looked at me for a moment. “Runes don’t give power,” he finally said. “They merely allow the person wielding them to access the already existent power around them.”
I furrowed my brow. “So … in the same way a mage can access and influence their element, a single rune could give someone the same amount of control over anything that rune represents?”
“Precisely,” he said.
The leader was finally beginning to be of some use, and I leapt at the opportunity. “Would the head of House Syru need a rune to influence air or a rune to influence me?” I asked. “To strangle me, I mean. What would the rune represent in that case?”
“That I cannot say,” Aeris said. “Rune magic is not as simple as magery. It isn’t strictly elemental. Runes may be combined, split apart, and even redefined with enough skill.”
My attention peaked. “Redefined?”
“Yes.” Aeris nodded. “With proper care, a gifted sorcerer might alter a rune, at which point it will have a different influence, one which only he who altered it can know.”
I considered this as I thought back to the five runes branded on the leader of House Syru. I hadn’t found the same runic symbols anywhere on the parchments I’d scoured through more times than I could count, and it occurred to me that, with his advanced powers, he could have altered his own runes this way. If he did, it could mean he’d created the Master’s rune himself.
“Can you recognize runes, sir?” I asked the leader. “The ones that are unaltered I mean.”
Now the leader narrowed his eyes. “Did you see any runes within the chamber at House Syru?”
“Yes,” I finally admitted, “but I don’t have proof of those either. The head of House Syru had five different runes engraved on his arm.”
“There were no runes anywhere else?” Aeris asked quickly. “No books perhaps, or documentation that might prove what you say?”
“No, but there’s always been the rune of the Master which I mentioned to the Elven Council--”
Aeris waved me off impatiently and didn’t respond.
I scowled. “He strangled me from across the room, he had runes engraved on his arm, and he admitted he’d met with the Master. How can you brush--”
“This is not proof,” the leader countered. “You might say anything and call it proof simply to gain forbidden knowledge.”
I nodded slowly. “I thought you offered this knowledge to me, remember? At House Quyn.”
“And you gave the impression you were in possession of some unique wisdom after your encounter with the head of House Syru,” Aeris shot back. He was out of patience and seemed to forget Deya was present now. “If all you have to say is he may have strangled you, but you have no proof of the presence of rune magic in his chamber, then I have nothing to offer you.”
Aeris and I looked at one another, and while he read me carefully, I considered his disinterest in the runic powers of the head of House Syru. He was digging for something more specific than proof of the dead elf’s powers.
“Unless, you did encounter something more in that chamber,” the leader continued.
The greed glinted again in Aeris’ silver eyes, and I kept my stern expression. “No,” I finally answered. “I only encountered the leader himself. This was proof enough for me. The fact that he acknowledged the strength of the Master seemed like one of the more important details, to be honest. At the very least, it verifies his existence, doesn’t it?”
Aeris’ eyes flared with anger. “If this is not a fallacy.”
“And if it’s not,” I continued, “this means you and I are in a unique position to protect the elven race from a threat that could destroy the Houses. It’s as simple as assisting me in deciphering the Master’s runic knowledge and finding a way to counter it.”
Aeris’s eyes shot to Deya, and I was pleased to see her presence seemed to make him consider things more carefully. I waited while he kneaded his hands and glowered at the diamond edging of his desk, but when he looked up, his countenance had shifted.
“Such a threat should be taken seriously,” Aeris said in a measured tone. “First, you will create an armory for my soldiers. One hundred and fifty of the weapons you demonstrated for us at the hall of the Elven Council. If House Aelin are to stand behind you against this Master, they will be the most impenetrable force in Nalnora in order to ensure … our success. Once you have completed the weapons, then we will discuss this Master’s rune and what might be done to counter it.”
I cocked a brow. “Actually, I didn’t offer my services,” I clarified. “I didn’t come here to arm your men, I came here to ensure I could defend the regions against the threat of the Master and--”
“Yes,” Aeris interrupted, “and this is clearly my sentiment as well. But knowledge comes at a cost, as I’m sure you’re aware.”
I didn’t miss the dark glint in his eye as he said this, but he swiftly continued.
“Given that you have apparently accrued no knowledge of any worth to me, the price for my own knowledge will be one hundred and fifty of your weapons.”
“You’re sure about that?” I asked, but the elf turned to Deya rather than respond, and his demeanor was suddenly obliging again.
“You may have your guard back, Miss Deya,” he said with a gracious bow. “We wouldn’t want you to miss out on the feast a moment longer. After all, it is in your honor we gather in the great hall tonight.”
Aeris rose and headed for the door, but Deya remained where she was as she looked at me curiously.
“What about the guard?” she asked.
I could tell Aeris had paused where he stood. “What do you mean?”
“The guard who came with you to the chamber,” Deya clarified. “You said the head of House Syru crippled him.”
“Oh,” I said, and then I shrugged. “It turned out he was a backstabbing shit with his own agenda. So, I dropped an axe through his skull.”
Deya’s eyes sparked with something that looked a lot like amusement, and she quietly stood to leave the chamber.
Then she crossed in front of me, and my eyes slid naturally to her ass as I followed the beautiful elf to the hall. I noticed a moment too late where my focus had gone, and when I pulled my eyes away, Aeris narrowed his own eyes at me.
I only nodded curtly and passed him by to join Deya, but the leader called me back.
“I do hope,” he said in a low voice, “that Qiran has made it clear to you how important Miss Deya is. To all of us.”
“More than clear,” I assured him. “I’ve been instructed not to let anyone near her. Not even your sons.”
“Yes, well,” he snapped, “be sure to include yourself in that consideration if you don’t wish to bring every army in Nalnora to Qiran’s doorstep.”
I furrowed my brow as he leveled me with a deathly glare, but I didn’t respond. Deya’s cheeks were a light pink when I turned from Aeris and came to her side,
and I hoped the leader had been too busy glaring at me to notice. Even when we’d made it to the end of the hall, I could still feel his sights burning into my back from his place outside the chamber door.
Deya and I turned to head for the spiral staircase in silence, but when we were in the upper halls again, the pink-haired elf reached out and placed her hand on my arm.
I stopped. “What’s wrong?”
Her violet eyes studied me for a moment. “He knows you’re not telling him everything,” she said quietly.
“What makes you think that?”
Deya’s lips curled slightly at the corner. “I know elves better than you.”
I smirked. “Alright. So, you know Aeris thinks I’m hiding something,” I allowed. “What makes you so sure he’s correct?”
Deya tilted her head to the side. “Something about that smirk … ”
I rolled my eyes and turned to continue down the hall, but Deya pulled me back once more.
“Aeris is a dangerous man, Mason Flynt,” she warned me. “You should be careful about lying to him.”
“Mason,” I said. “You can just call me Mason.”
“Mason,” she tried with a blush, and I swallowed hard. Then she continued softly. “Mason, may I ask you a question?”
“I’ve got a question first,” I said.
“Alright,” she said with a grin. “Your question first.”
“Why did you follow me into that meeting?” I asked. “You knew damn well he only wanted to talk with me.”
Deya’s expression sobered, and I could tell she was telling the truth. “I am sorry I intruded,” she said plainly. “I was worried he would try to convince you to leave my protection to his own guards. I knew he wouldn’t do this if I was there.”
I nodded. “Your turn.”
“What are you hiding from Aeris?”
I raised my brows as the elven beauty cut straight through the shit. I really didn’t want to lie to Deya, and so far, she’d given me no reason to think I couldn’t trust her. I remembered Cayla’s point about Deya and Dragir having at least some knowledge of rune magic, and if the head of House Aelin was going to force a powerplay on me, it might be better to test out my knowledge with Deya to see what I had.
I sighed and scruffed my beard as I glanced down the hall. A servant was dusting an ornate table, and she turned her eyes toward us every few seconds. So, I gestured for Deya to follow me, and we turned around and headed the opposite direction of the feast. I led her back to my room, and when I held the door open for her, I noticed another blush had suddenly appeared on her cheeks.
With the door shut behind us, I walked to the desk and dug through my bag until I found the folded parchment.
“I need your word you won’t tell anyone about this,” I told her, and Deya crinkled her brow before she nodded. Then I handed the parchment over and eyed her expression as she unfolded the papers.
Deya gasped much like her brother had when she saw the strange text, and her violet eyes went wide as she snapped them to me. “Where did you find these?” she demanded.
“House Syru,” I told her. “The leader was working on them when I walked in.”
“That can’t be,” she insisted with a shake of her head. “These documents have been missing for over a thousand years. He couldn’t possibly have had them.”
I stared. “A thousand years? You’re sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure,” Deya replied, and she looked at the parchment in shock. “This is the ancient script of the Elven Nation, we don’t even use it anymore. And this mark on the bottom is the symbol of the original Elven Council, the one that only consisted of the four Elite Houses.”
“Hold on,” I cut in. “You can read these?”
Deya shook her head. “No, most of the elders who possessed knowledge of the ancient script have passed on by now,” she explained. “But these documents were written by the elves who first encountered rune magic. Many of the heads of Houses haven’t even received this sort of knowledge from their living ancestors. Without the texts, we have little left. Wh--what are you doing with these?”
“You see what I’m dealing with,” I told her. “The Houses won’t listen to sense, but they need to act fast. I needed something to prove what we’re up against. The leader was dead, and the whole place was going up in flames, and I saw the papers--”
Deya gasped, and her hand flew to her lips. “What?”
“What’s wrong?” I questioned.
“Were there other papers there?” she asked. “Did you see any more like this anywhere?”
I sent the beautiful elf an apologetic smile. “I mean … ”
“You have them as well, then?” Deya clarified. “These are not all you have.”
“Well like I said, everything was on fire, and paper tends to burn pretty fast, so … ”
Deya looked like she was going to faint, and she stumbled a little as she set the parchment on the desk.
“I grabbed as much as I could,” I told her. “I don’t wanna be that guy, but I was half dead by then. It was kinda hard to do much of anything. I got these papers though, that’s something, right?”
Deya let out a light laugh and nodded. “You cannot know what you have here though,” she muttered. “There could be anything written here.”
“That’s the point,” I said. “Whatever’s on those papers, the head of House Syru knew. And he was the one to introduce the Master to rune magic. I need to figure out what’s on these documents, but I can’t just hand them over to the wrong people. Unfortunately, it’s kinda hard to guess who the right ones are. I thought Aeris might be able to help, but I didn’t want to show him until I could get an idea about his own agenda.”
“Don’t tell him about these.” Deya shook her head fervently. “These are sacred, Mason Flynt. If someone like Aeris were to--”
“Mason,” I corrected her again.
Deya smiled. “Mason. Do not show these to anyone who may kill you for them,” she said. “Do you understand?”
I furrowed my brow. “They’re that important?”
Deya gave a decided nod and quickly folded the parchment. Then she pressed them into my palm, and I instinctively caught her hand in mine.
To my surprise, the elven beauty didn’t pull away, and I watched as her cheeks slowly bloomed from pink to a deep red.
I’d lost all my focus once more, but this time I genuinely didn’t care. Deya’s cleavage peaked out from the neckline of her dress, and her chest rose and fell with nervous breaths, but her violet eyes remained glued to mine.
And for once, there weren’t any elves around to interrupt us.
I knew I’d probably regret it, but I couldn’t look at her with that blush on her cheeks and not wonder what the hell I was dealing with.
So, I kept my gaze steady. “Can I ask you a question?”
A small smile came to her face. “I have a question first.”
I nodded.
“Did you mean what you said at my father’s house?” Deya asked softly. “Do you truly love your women?”
I raised my brows. “That’s a terrible question,” I laughed. “Of course I fucking do, have you met them?”
Deya rolled her eyes, but her smile looked wider than usual. “Fine, your turn.”
I swallowed my nerves. “What did Aeris mean about bringing the armies of Nalnora to your father’s doorstep?”
Deya slipped her hand out of mine. “Oh, that,” she said lightly.
“Yes, that. I couldn’t help but notice they treat you like royalty around here,” I pointed out.
“It’s only because of my mother, really,” Deya replied as she averted her violet eyes. “Her bloodline is a highly regarded one in Nalnora.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Which means?”
Deya began to fidget with the ends of her soft pink hair. “You don’t know anything about elven history or our customs. It’s hard to explain.”
“Try,” I told her, and I steadied my nerve
s by locking my grip on the edge of the desk at my back.
“Okay,” she muttered toward the carpet. “The laws of Nalnora changed after the rise of the Gorak Knights. Because of these changes, it’s been known since my birth that my duty would be to continue the bloodline of my mother’s ancestors.”
I nodded. “And … they’re all hoping to be the lucky guy.”
Deya suddenly stood a little taller and leveled her violet eyes at me. “Yes,” she said casually. “One son each.”
I tightened my grip on the desk. “What … does that mean?”
“It means I must provide a child to one son from each House. It’s my duty.”
Then my stomach dropped like a ton of bricks, and that familiar rage began to vibrate through my back before it seared its way up through my ribs.
Chapter 10
My women were tangled around me when I woke up the next morning, and I felt like I hadn’t slept at all. My jaw ached from grinding my teeth all night, and a fresh sheen of sweat dripped down my temple.
After my conversation with Deya, I’d calmly escorted her to the feast and brought her over to where my three women sat drinking around a table in the corner of the banquet hall. Then I immediately left, got lost for who knew how long in a slew of identical blue halls, and finally stared at the ceiling in my room until I fell asleep.
I’d half expected Aeris’ powerplay, but I wasn’t prepared in the slightest for most of the realizations that had come from the previous day. Aeris wasn’t the safe bet I’d hoped he would be, and I started to wonder if I was wasting my time at House Aelin. It looked like the only thing that could come of my stay here would be arming a large and powerful House with enough rifles to wipe out all the others. That, and Aeris’ handsome sons would get a chance to go head to head for Deya. The arrogant elf was really winning out on this one.
At least I knew the parchments I’d found at House Syru were ancient documents pertaining to rune magic, and I’d figured this out before I made the mistake of showing them to Aeris. But I still had no idea what to do with the sacred documents. I just knew the fact that I carried them put an extra target on my back.
I took a steadying breath and slid my hand along the curve of Cayla’s lower back. Her porcelain skin was warm in my palm, and I’d just begun to find comfort in the supple bodies pressed around my own, when I heard a decidedly rude knock at the door.
