Incandescence - 15. Reality

Kalian had fallen back into a small coma. It’d been three days since Wren had died and things were strange. For instance, I had to fill in for my husband and pretend I wasn’t constantly on the brink of murder. How Kalian managed all his responsibilities was a mystery to me. I had never truly appreciated what he did daily. There were mountains of paperwork, endless tasks, and worst of all…people. Other humans were on my back at every turn. They always came needing something or asking questions and it was ridiculous. How did these people function alone in their day to day lives? Some of the questions I’d had to answer were shockingly stupid.

My eyes flicked to Wyn who was reading on the couch across the office. He’d propped his feet up on the back and his brow was furrowed in concentration. Not on his reading, but on pretending he was. Sighing, I set my papers down and stared at the side of his face until he slowly looked up wearing a sheepish expression. I tilted my head to the side and motioned for him to cross the office.

He sulked, averting his eyes as he tromped over. Propping my elbows on the desk, I linked my fingers and let my chin rest on them. Wyn fidgeted and rocked his weight from foot to foot as he refused to speak. I shook my head and widened my eyes in expectation when he finally made eye contact, “Out with it, demon.”

Wyn glared for a moment and scratched at his elbow, “Da is asleep and things are getting bad. Are they going to be okay?”

I straightened in my seat and passed my hand over my face as I shrugged off a wave of mental fatigue, “We’re going to be fine Wyn. I will make sure of it. You know I will. Nothing will happen to you or Kalian.”

“That’s just us, though. What about the teachers and uncle Eon?” Wyn frowned, “There’s more in the world than Da and I.”

“Not in my world.” I sat back in the chair and stayed silent as Wyn stared me down.

“That’s not enough. It isn’t enough dad! There are people here who matter. You’re not going to do anything to protect them?” Wyn was glaring now, narrow shoulders square and feet planted. I had no time to argue with a twelve-year-old. I barely had enough time in the day to handle all of Kalian’s tasks. I was tired and the way the child was looking at me made my hackles rise.

Wyn wasn’t done however, “Da wouldn’t just protect us. What about Aunt Anika and his parents? The kids in town said the coast is going to be under attack soon. Illiath sent their ships! That’s da’s home! Uncle Eon’s too!”

This brought another deep sigh and I rested my face in my hands. I would very much like to meet the parents that decided having these conversations in front of their children was okay. Mostly because it meant I had to be far more honest with Wyn. Kalian had kept the boy in the dark. Other than some basic training. Which wasn’t fair, but it was what he’d thought was right.

Kalian wasn’t conscious though, and my kid had questions.

Taking deeper breaths, I let my hands drop and I looked across the desk at him for a long moment. Wyn didn’t falter, face determined. It would be a disservice to keep him out of the loop when his safety was a big variable in every decision we had made thus far and would in the future. His training with Amaris and Suman had been moving slowly and now one of his teachers was gone. Kalian’s work fell on me and now so did the entire weight he’d supported as a parent as well. How was I meant to do all this? I could take care of myself reasonably well but adding more made things dicey.

“What have you heard?” I asked flatly.

“The thing about the coast and that Uncle Wren died and Loren almost died in Serran. Uncle Eon is stressed and angry all the time, so things must be bad.” He answered.

“Illiath is going to attack Krinn and the coast within the week. Loren and Wren went to Serran to gather intel and whilst there, they destroyed bases that were producing a poison that makes Magik users sick and strips them of their power. Your uncle is incredibly uptight, he always has been, but he has a lot on his shoulders right now.”

Wyn blinked at me, shock holding his tongue. I wasn’t sure we’d ever come out and told him things like this before. Up until now, things had been reasonably peaceful and Kalian had a strong need to keep the boy from dealing with almost any hardships. He wanted Wyn to be happy all the time and keep him from our family’s bloody history. It wasn’t possible. Wyn wasn’t going to accept the false reality his father had built for him, forever. He was old enough now to know who we were and what we’d done to get to this point. He didn’t need all the gory details but having no knowledge of the events around him was cruel at this point.

“Your aunt and her parents will protect the coast. Eon has sent aid. Meanwhile, he’s building a force to mount an attack on Serran. He plans to lead it himself. My guess is he’s craving any kind of revenge he’s able to get for Wren’s death.” I continued, watching his reactions. Every emotion played across his face and he settled back into determination.

“How can we help?”

“You can listen when we tell you to do something and pay attention in your lessons with Amaris.”

“That’s not enough! I haven’t mastered my power and I’m a long way from it. If someone attacked me, I wouldn’t be able to protect myself dad.” Wyn frowned, looking at the ground again.

“Then we will work harder to address that.” I said, resting my hands on the desk.

“How? Amaris barely has time for my lessons.” Wyn was frustrated and I couldn’t say I blamed him. He was stuck in a difficult position. We all were.

“Then I will teach you.” Shrugging, I pushed myself to stand.

“Really? Will you…can you teach me alchemy?” Wyn looked up at me with wide eyes, his fists clenched by his sides.

“I will teach you whatever you want to know.”

*

Sleep was…an elusive bitch. Whenever Kalian woke up, I was sure he’d find me dead under a pile of paperwork with some duke or Wyn poking at me with a sharp stick. Sleep deprivation wasn’t new. The sheer amount of responsibility was. Being an assassin was so much easier than being a government official with a child that needed to be prepared. Kalian could wake up any day now.

Fortunately, Wyn took to alchemy very quickly. He was good at it and it was odd being in control of his learning. He had very little self-confidence. That was our fault as well. In keeping him safe no matter what-Kalian had sowed doubt and insecurity in the boy. He was in a similar mindset to the Kalian I had met all those years ago before his power had awakened. That irritated me. Were we just as bad as Kalian’s parents? We loved the boy and protected him, but we’d crossed a line somewhere. It was unacceptable and now we had very little time to remedy the situation.

I had taken a backseat in his care. Now was a different story. I slid my fingers over the vials lining the shelves, searching for something specific. I felt eyes on me and I smirked. Wyn’s interest in alchemy made sense given his skill set and natural ability. The plants and herbs on the farthest wall were creeping up the wall or reaching downward for the floor. With simple touches he could accelerate growth or reduce a plant to a brittle, dead mess. I snatched a vial with green liquid off the shelf and turned back with a grin. Wyn eyed it, head tilting to the side as he frowned.

“I don’t know that word.” He mumbled.

“Course not. It’s in Parler Noir. Your father wouldn’t hear of you learning that language. Not yet anyway.” I uncorked the vial and crossed the room to swipe a small pot off the shelf. I returned to the metal table where Wyn sat and dropped the plant in front of him.

“Da always said Parler Noir was dangerous and almost made you a monster.” Wyn frowned.

“True and true. It’s so fun, though.” I tipped the vial forward, dripping a few drops of the liquid on a reasonably healthy fern, “Plus, I am not teaching you the language. Merely making a point.”

Wyn jerked back as the fern’s leaves extended strangely and then blackened as the plant curled in on itself and died, “You…what is that?”

“This took me years-years Wyn-to make and I have only what’s in this bottle. You can do the same thing with a light touch and you have far more control. Your gift is incredible. You don’t need all the training in the world to be a force. We’re aiming for you to be able to protect yourself, not overthrow an entire government alone.” I grinned at him again and Wyn’s eyes widened, “Not yet anyway. You’re our child. Gods only know how long it’s going to take before you start threatening countries and governments. I can’t wait.”

“So…you’re not going to teach me?” He was glaring and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“Did I say that? Where in any of my statements did I say that, demon?” I raised an eyebrow. I had discovered quickly that Wyn was more than eager to rise to a challenge. We were father and son, but our relationship had always had a competitive edge. He wanted to outdo me in all things and make me watch as he did so. I loved the kid so much.

“You think that I don’t need to do much to protect myself. That makes me think you aren’t going to keep your promise of teaching me.” He crossed his arms, staring me down.

I rested my palms on the table, “Don’t put words in my mouth little darling.”

Wyn’s glare sharpened at the insult, “You’re annoying.”

“Absolutely. Do something about it.” I grinned, raising my hands and shrugging.

I watched the frustration build and build. Amaris and Suman handled Wyn with kid gloves. Even Eon had taken it easy on him. I didn’t have the ability. I was never taught that way. I wouldn’t torture my child, clearly, but I was going to push him. I was going to push him hard. I had a pleasant feeling that Wyn would handle being forced out of his comfort zone far better than Kalian had.

“I don’t understand.” He said and I sighed. I turned a bit to the side and then slammed my fingers down on the table. Lines of shadow sliced through the dead plant and its pot. Wyn jumped and stared, eyes widening so much it made me laugh.

His glare returned, “I can’t do that. I can’t throw my vines or anything.”

“Then throw something else. You did it when you were eight. You should be able to now.”

Wyn’s eyes narrowed and he stared down at his hands before looking up at the ruined plant and clenching his hands into fists. The determination warmed my black little heart and I crossed my arms, smirking as vines appeared in his palms. I didn’t understand the boy’s powers, but I could work with them. So what that it was unheard of to create and control matter in the way that he did? I’m sure someone far more intelligent than I could figure out this evolution in Magik, but that was above me. I was charged with one thing and one thing only. Making sure the boy could defend himself. Self defense and violence were on my level. I could handle them.

It was the middle of the gods’ forsaken night. It was the middle of the night and I had been getting very little sleep for far too long. Kalian was still asleep and that meant my workload was intense and irritating. I stood on the balcony outside my bedroom, waiting for the person before me to stop panting long enough to tell me whatever was so important that he’d scaled the damn manor and tapped lightly on the double doors to our bedroom until I woke up. Instead of the more rational option that involved using the front door and stairs.

“Are you going to keep me out here all night?” I groused, crossing my arms over my chest as the cool breeze blew through my lightweight sleep pants.

“Not all night. Perhaps just quite a bit of it.” A flash of a grin and the person stood, “I have news. The best kind of news. The kind that involves treason and schemes.”

“Out with it then.” I frowned, my arms dropping.

“Oh, not so fast. I’ve got to build up the suspense so you truly appreciate my reach and the delicious, delicious intel I’ve brought you. Dimian herself will physically manifest to thank me for my efforts.”

“Dimian already exists physically you idiot.” I rolled my eyes, rubbing my face as I resigned myself to the fact that it was going to be a very long night with no sleep again.

Wyn stood next to me. There were thin cuts and slashes over his cheeks and arms, but he was unbothered. We stood in Eon’s war room behind the chairs as others flowed in. Amaris stood behind us with another Verseckt member. Meryck had been one of the members to return from an assigned mission. He was the youngest Verseckt member. Not that it mattered. At 18, the boy had more than earned his place three years ago. As far as I knew, he was the last member Wren approved. He wore the Verseckt leathers with a black hood covering his head and upper body. The top of his face was all that was exposed. His gold eyes watched everyone with disinterest as he leaned against the wall next to Amaris.

I met Meryck’s eyes and nodded as I slid into my chair. He stayed relaxed against the wall, but Amaris was fidgeting and irritated. Loren was already seated next to me and Wyn took Kalian’s usual chair. Eon was at the head of the table, face stony as one of the dukes-Fawcell-complained loudly at him. Lyme stood next to Eon. Surprisingly close. I studied the frail looking scholar. He was unassuming and physically nonthreatening, but I was starting to see that there was more to him. He squirmed his way around Eon, slamming a piece of paper down in front of the duke. His eyes flashed as the man sneered at him and said something rude. Or I assumed it was rude as Eon clapped a hand on the man’s shoulder. Fawcell’s eyes bugged out of his head as the fingers dug into him and Eon maintained eye contact until the man scurried back to his seat at the other end of the table.

Interesting.

“Sit, everyone please.” Eon called as he lowered himself into his own seat. I didn’t miss how his eyes strayed to the space on the table that Wren used to occupy. I’d found myself staring at it earlier too. The easiest way to deal with Wren’s loss was not to dwell and to make sure we paid our enemies back for the loss.

“What’s this talk that you’re planning to lead the attack in Serran yourself? You’d leave the city completely unprotected?” Keverin piped up.

“Correct. I will lead the force myself. Kalian and Talon among others will remain. The city is far from defenseless.” Eon countered, already looking exhausted with the conversation.

“What of the coast? Krinn will be hit any day now. You mean to leave them to defend their own?” Fawcell bit out, face reddening.

“They are also far from defenseless. We will send them more aid. I already have sent a fair amount. They are not alone. I’ve considered it.”

“You claim that having Kalian and Talon is an advantage, but one of them seems to suffer from narcolepsy and the other holds no loyalty to our country.” Fawcell snapped.

“You’ve ventured onto the thinnest of ices.” I smiled at Fawcell, leaning forward as I worked through how fast I could dispatch him in my head.

“Kalian is asleep and continues to fall asleep because he’s expended unnatural levels of Magik. True, it is not ideal, but there are strategies that exist where the Sun Summoner is not crucial to our continued survival.” Lyme spoke up, tucking his hair behind his ear as everyone’s eyes fell on him. Lyme tried to tame his mess of hair nervously, suddenly looking self-conscious. He took a deep breath and glanced to Eon. The general’s eyes had lost focus as he stared at the vacant circle on the table.

Lyme visibly shook off his uncertainty and met Duke Fawcell’s eyes, “Kalian and Talon are astounding powers and we are fortunate that they are tied to Dimian and not an enemy. You would do well to remember that before you’re disrespectful again. If memory serves, Master Talon almost dispatched you twice in a ten-minute time frame. It is unwise to bait those who are superior to us in every way.”

A laugh came from the doors behind us and I groaned, “The frail little bird has some bite, eh?”

There was obvious discomfort as Suman strolled into the room. His long hair was gathered in a high ponytail and his ensemble was entirely shades of greys. His fingers toyed with the hilt of a sword as he made his way around the chairs to abruptly drop in Loren’s lap. The Illithian didn’t seem surprised in the least and simply adjusted his position.

“Shouldn’t you be in Dleth making sure your cousin stays on the throne?” Keverin asked, frowning.

“The queen has no need for me anymore. Miraculous how well a government listens when you single-handedly slaughter more than half of them. She’s being hailed as the peoples’ savior. They were starving and being actively hunted you see.” Suman pulled his hair over his shoulder and smiled at Fawcell in a way that made the man go white.

“Do you have more to report?” Hanja sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Not that it isn’t amazing news that Lyrah took to her position so quickly!” Tyren exclaimed, smiling at me and anyone else who would look.

“Oh, I have the best kind of news. I’m not sure this group is ready for it, however.” Suman laughed.

“If you mean to hold out on us again, I will reduce you to ashes in Loren’s lap.” Eon growled from his side of the room.

“Promises, promises. Duke Fawcell, would you like to share anything with the class?” Suman grinned at the man and I began to realize a bit why people feared my family. The man looked downright feral as he eyed the duke. He looked like a predator eyeing its trapped prey before it ended its game of cat and mouse once and for all.

“What are you implying?” The ancient duke-who’s name I refused to learn-gasped.

“Oh, come now,” Suman rose slowly, “Don’t make this harder on yourself.”

“I have no idea what you’re trying to get at.” Fawcell scoffed, “Mad prince.”

“Suman, I grow tired of your games.” Eon snapped.

“I’m not surprised. You are the king of killjoys Eon dearest.” Suman blew the general a kiss and then stalked around the table. Lyme scowled and glared down at the table top. Fawcell stood, holding his hands up as Suman drew near. As if he had a chance of defending himself against my cousin.

“How long has your family held their title and lands?” Suman asked, following the now back pedaling duke.

“Since the beginning.” Fawcell’s eyes were wide and he’d gone a shade paler somehow.

“How fortunate for you. A man with no skills and no leadership qualities. Thank gods you were handed everything from the time you came of age because let’s be honest Fawcell, you’d never be in power if it was up to your own qualities.” Suman was closer and Fawcell began having to watch his feet.

Suman grinned, “How much did it take?”

“Wh-what?” Fawcell gasped.

“What’re you doing? That man is a duke worthy of respect!” Keverin yelled as he stood.

Suman snagged Fawcell’s collar and dragged him forward, “How much did it take for you to betray your countrymen? Things get a bit rough and you jump ship as soon as you can?”

Suman shoved Fawcell and the man’s back his the ground hard as he gasped, “You’re insane! I’ve done nothing!”

“Meryck.” I said, waving my hand. The others in the room stared at me, varying levels of surprise and shock on everyone’s face. Except for Eon, who looked downright livid. Whoops, in my haste to be helpful, I seemed to have left the general out of the loop. Bad Talon, bad.

Meryck stepped forward and produced papers from somewhere. He unrolled them and set them on the table. He stepped back and relaxed into his position against the wall. I stood slowly, “Meryck returned recently. It was perfect timing as he’s able to corroborate Suman’s claims. When he gets around to making them.”

“What is the meaning of this!?” Duke no-name shouted.

“Volume.” Suman snapped, whirling on the man and stomping on Fawcell’s foot when the man tried to scurry away on his hands and knees. Fawcell cried out and Suman turned back. He shook his hands out and his bracelets fell between his hands.

“Suman. Explain first. Murder second.” I sighed.

Suman rolled his eyes and rested his foot on the center of Fawcell’s back, holding him down, “This worm has been selling our deepest darkest secrets to the worst people. Namely our enemies. Specifically Illiath. He’s been promised all kinds of things when your Council falls, but alas, it seems he didn’t secure anything for the rest of you. Selfish this one.”

The dukes were eerily quiet and I settled more into my chair, smirking to myself. Tyren’s eyes were huge, Hanja was staring down at Fawcell, and Eon fell heavily into his chair. Lyme’s hands fluttered nervously in the larger man’s direction before he clasped them behind his back. Loren’s expression had darkened, cheek balanced on his palm as he watched Suman.

“But wait! There’s more! He’s not alone! You didn’t work together, but you were both equally greedy!” Suman laughed, kicking Fawcell in the back of the head. The man crumpled forward, groaning but otherwise still.

“Meryck.” I called softly.

Light flashed across the room and in the next moment the oldest, no name duke’s upper body hit the table. Meryck circled around and yanked the still man up, ripping out throwing knives and wiping them on his hood before returning them to his person. Keverin and the other dukes were still, stunned into shocked silence. The oldest duke had been right next to Keverin and the man stared down at his dead colleague.

Meryck returned to his spot on the wall and I nodded once.

“You would…allow your child to see this?” Keverin stammered, eyes latching on Wyn as he struggled to make sense of what was happening.

“Wyn will be shown the realities of the world. No matter how terrible. There will be more attempts on his life and I’d like for him to know how our family deals with treachery.” I shrugged, glancing to the boy who was glaring at Fawcell, “What my expectations are.”

“Suman, sit.” Eon ordered, standing again, “We’ve been kept in the dark and I’d like to know when you Verlorens came about this information. Are you keeping secrets now too, Talon?”

“I found out last night. Suman arrived in Syrin shortly before he told me. I knew there was a meeting called today. No one is keeping secrets Eon. Well, except for our dear dukes.” I said, meeting his eyes.

“How much information has he sold our enemies?” Hanja asked, the first to recover.

“There’s really only one way to find out.” Suman smiled sweetly at Hanja and the healer looked away.

“Torture.” Tyren whispered; eyes downcast.

“No, no! Please! I’ll tell you everything!” Fawcell slurred as he tried to get up.

“Talon.” Eon said simply, “I will trust that to you. Also, as of today, you will lead the Verseckt. You obviously possess a connection to them that I do not”

Wait, no. More responsibility? More? As if I didn’t have enough! I sighed and ran fingers through my hair. My eyes flicked to Fawcell and he flinched hard. It made sense. I was far more aware of the Verseckt’s inner workings. I knew the members and was familiar with our strengths and weaknesses as a group.

I was beginning to suspect I’d never sleep again.

“Meryck. Take him.” I sighed heavily and rolled my head on the shoulders as Fawcell screamed and struggled. The other dukes either watched in horror or averted their eyes from the man. Suman helped Meryck with the man and bowed dramatically before closing the doors behind them.

“Well…that was…unplanned.” Tyran said, fingers pulling at his curls.

“What if you’re unable to get everything out of him? We’ve no way of knowing how much of a disadvantage Fawcell’s put us at.” Hanja rubbed both hands down his face.

“We’ll get it out of him. Believe me.” I said, resting my feet on the war table.

“We have only a few days before the coast is under attack. I have faith that my family and the men stationed there will be able to defend against the attack, but I’m open to suggestions.” Eon said. I would be surprised if some of the dukes didn’t have whiplash from the abrupt subject change.

“I have some ideas. I have some for the force that will march on Serran as well.” Lyme stepped forward, holding multiple rolled up papers to his chest.

“It’s time to plan then. I will tell you right now, if any of you are considering following in your friends’ footsteps, I would like you to reacquaint yourself with Dimian’s policy for treason. If you choose to follow your friends’ lead, I hope you have plans in place to care for your families because we will ensure that you no longer walk this earth to do so.” Eon said, gazes flicking from one duke to the next and then staring pointedly at the duke still dead on the table.

My fingers slid along the back of Wyn’s arm, adjusting it higher, “Now try.”

His hand shot back, wrist flicking forward. A vine rushed out and with a crack whipped through the air. It shattered a pot and I grinned. Wyn looked from the pot to his hand and then looked up at me with a wide grin, “I did it.”

“Mhm, but you need more control. Your aim needs to be perfect. It can be the difference between a fatal blow and one that just slows someone down. We don’t maim in this family, Wyn. If we’re attacking someone, we mean to kill them.” He nodded and I kept the smile from my face as his scrunched with determination. He raised his arms and I inclined my head. He raised his hands higher and bit his lip as he concentrated.

The next vine that snapped out hit the target dead on. The poor flowerpot practically exploded. Wyn dusted his hands off, his eyes taking in the debris on the table across the room, “Again. I meant to hit it more to the left.”

“Again.” I nodded, moving forward to fetch more targets.

I sprawled on my back and let my arm rest over my face. I stayed like that for a long while before I rolled onto my side. Kalian was curled up on the other side of the bed, dead to the world. I had no idea how long he’d be lost to us. He’d used so much Magik to off Sumerion and then I’d woken him up and he’d used even more. I scooted across the bed and wrapped myself around him. He could use a bath, but I couldn’t find it in me to care.

To my surprise, Kalian stirred a bit. He mumbled something incoherent and I adjusted the blanket to cover his shoulders, “Wyn’s learning so fast. I wish you were awake to see it. He’s going to be strong, that one.”

Kalian didn’t answer. Not that I expected him to. I nuzzled his neck, “Fawcell’s a traitor. So is another duke. The old one. You’d know his name. Suman came back and blew the top off their plans. Meryck-you haven’t met him-came back as well and he had even more information to support Suman’s claims.”

I chuckled softly, releasing Kalian and laying on my back again, “Lyrah has taken control in Dleth. It seems to be going well. The people are behind her even if the court isn’t. I knew she could do it. You’d be proud of her. Suman too. He’s actually making himself useful and proving he’s an ally.”

Kalian mumbled again and let out a soft sigh and I let my eyes close, “Feel free to wake up whenever. I can’t handle your jobs plus the one your brother just saddled me with.”

I pulled up the covers and let out a sigh, “The coast is going to be hit soon. I hope your family can hold Illiath there. If we lose the coast and one of our most crucial ports, we may be in trouble. Lyme has all these plans that sound amazing on paper, but the kid’s never been in a fight in his life. I have a hard time putting faith in him even though I know he’s a walking book.”

I closed my eyes, willing sleep to take me and I was successful at first. Then I heard footsteps and a tap at the balcony doors. I groaned and stood, making my way over and wrenching the doors open. Meryck stood on the other side and Suman stood behind him.

I rolled my eyes, “Is there a reason you can’t use the front door and staircase?”

“Better this way.” Suman shrugged, “Higher chance that Loren and Amaris would wake up if we came through the manor.”

Meryck crossed his arms, glancing to Suman. My cousin sighed and stepped forward. I could barely make out the blood splashed across his grey clothing, “The duke is stronger than he appears. He gave up quite a bit, but there seems to be something he still wishes to keep from us. Despite our best efforts.”

I ran fingers through my hair and glanced out over the scenery shrouded in night, “What’s he told you so far?”

“That he scurried to our enemies after every Council meeting. He was also supposed to make himself a nuisance in said meetings to make our progress and planning slow.” Suman shrugged, “We could use a professional, Talon.”

“I don’t have time. You and Meryck will have to try harder.” I leaned against the doorframe. My brain was scattered and near scrambled as I tried to work out how I may help with this issue as well. No matter how I moved things about in my head, there simply wasn’t enough time in the day. I’d have to delegate Fawcell’s…care to my cousin and Meryck. There was no other way. If I took on more, the things I was already tasked with would suffer. I would rather do a fewer number of things correctly than do a whole mess of things half-assed. I refused to let Kalian return to a mess of my making.

“How is the boy’s training?” Suman asked and I scratched the back of my head.

“He’s coming along. He learns fast and his Magik is strong.”

“Good. Things are about to get messy and he needs to be able to defend himself.” Suman nodded. Meryck moved to the balcony’s edge, hopping up on the railing and glancing behind him to meet my eyes before he jumped off. Suman seemed to think for a long moment and then followed Meryck. He climbed over and lowered himself down slowly until he was out of sight.

Still leaning against the door frame, I tried to take inventory of everything I was meant to get done tomorrow. One day at a time. If I tried to think of anything more, I’d surely lose my mind. I didn’t need anything else inching me closer to insanity.

I closed the doors and made my way back to bed. I watched the slow rise and fall of his chest as Kalian lay on his back. His nose scrunched a bit and I smiled softly. Leaning forward, I pressed my lips lightly to his and then flopped onto my back. I rolled on my side, facing away from my partner as I settled in to try and get any sleep I could. Suman was right. Things were about to get messier than any of us had ever seen. We’d already lost one friend. Now we’d lost people we’d considered allies as well. I hadn’t liked or trusted any of the dukes from the start. Besides Kalian of course. Now, I had even more reason to watch their every move. I didn’t believe that only two men had sold us out and I didn’t believe that the others hadn’t known what was going on. If they weren’t traitors themselves, they’d let the treachery continue. They were idiots, the lot of them. They may not know their mouths from their asses, but the unpredictability made them dangerous. I was of the mind that we should wipe them all out. The Council was flawed from the beginning and the men had proven again and again that they cared only for themselves.

People like that couldn’t be trusted. The threat of violence may succeed in keeping them in line, but I had no doubt that, given the chance, they’d sell us out just like Fawcell. I didn’t like losing control. I didn’t like too many variables. The dukes had long since outlived their usefulness and now, they were borderline dangerous to have around. If the right promises were made, the right amount of money offered, it would be no surprise if more of them folded. Better to off them now. Take away the chance. What good did they really do anyway? We had to force them to care for their people. We practically begged for them to show an ounce of compassion. Why? Why put forth so much damn effort? They weren’t worth it. How long was it going to take the others to see that?

Worse even, how long before Kalian woke up and I begrudgingly adhered to his strict moral code again. Kalian was a good man, but sometimes, that isn’t what the world needed. Sometimes it needed someone to roll out violence and force people in line. When Kalian woke up, my chance of acting on my more vicious inclinations would disappear. The Verseckt were under my control. Officially. What should a suspicious leader of a government sanctioned band of assassins do to assuage his nerves?

Whatever I wanted.

I had changed my mind. Kalian could stay asleep. I had things to do. Things I’m sure he’d rather not see.