Go. I must confer with my enforcers and father.
I am rolling my eyes now in exasperation at your constant need to order instead of ask.
She went with his mother and sister. A shiver raced up her spine at the remoteness she had seen. After the long night of intimacy, she had expected at least some warmth. His mother and siste
r chatted with her, and she answered as best as she could, without their noticing her distraction.
Something was wrong, and anxiety clenched her stomach in knots.
***
“Report,” Drac commanded.
He was with his first and second enforcers. He commanded the one hundred thousand warriors that resided at the Northern Keep. His sister Tehdra was his captain who presided whenever he was absent. Tzar, his pregnant sister’s mate, was his second in command.
His sister faced him. “We have tracked the presence of Mevians within the Darkage. They move with a stealth and darkness that is hard to penetrate. They are aided by at least one elder.”
“We also suspect that the elder resides at this keep,” Tzar said.
His father exhaled sharply. This was the first time his father had been privy to this information, and Drac saw fleeting shock chasing across his face. His father, Raki El Kyn, was close to being an elder and a powerful one at that. He had been appointed high chancellor by Gidon’s father and Raki had fulfilled his task ruthlessly. He worked closely with the warrior factions and was a member of the king’s council.
“What is the meaning of this? There are Darkans affiliating with Mevians within our own walls? To what end?” his father asked.
“Conspiring, not affiliating,” Tehdra said. “Since Gidon’s ascension, we have stopped three assassination attempts. They were weak and belonged to the civilians’ caste. Our investigations discovered they were smoke screens.”
“Smoke screens for what?” Raki demanded.
“We are not sure,” she murmured. “We dug deep and uncovered dissention. There are whispers we cannot yet trace, that speak of our King as being weak, and of The Kingmaker rising. There is another who they say is stronger who should lead us. Whoever is spreading these whispers is inciting doubt in many, that our kings’ ideals will place our kingdom in danger and we will be perceived as weak. The whispers talk of war that may visit Amagarie again, and the Darkage will need a leader who is capable of withstanding the rigors of strife and death. A leader whom the Kingmaker approves.”
There was a long bout of silence before Drac spoke, “Tell me about the Mevians’ presence.”
Tehdra flowed to perch on a turret, frowning. “Tzar came upon a meeting while patrolling the caves of the Hoyekan forest. He scented not a Darkan, but some other. He approached and was able to see the Mevia insignia on their cowls. He was detected.”
There was a deep pause as the implications that someone had detected Tzar’s presence sunk in. “Continue,” Drac commanded.
“The Mevian was shiktred away. Tzar tried to follow but could not keep up. The speed of the one moving the infiltrator had to be very strong and powerful for Tzar to not be able to follow. It must be an elder or a high chancellor. The level of secrecy surrounding the plots against our Ricarkri leads me to believe it is someone powerful, respected and feared who is their leader. And without a doubt another Darkan,” Tehdra said.
Drac felt coldness permeate his being, and his beast uncoiled inside him. His mind shifted to the Mevians who had pursued Saieke into the forest. “Mevian grand generals pursued the princess into the forest bordering this land. Their hesitation in crossing over was fleeting and they were without fear.” They were confident about their presence not being detected in his world.
“They have Darkans working with them,” Raki snapped.
“We need to uncover why they pursued the princess,” Tehdra said. “Then we may understand why Mevians and Darkans are working together, and what it has to do with our king.”
Drac felt the icy rage that ran through his veins spread throughout his body. Someone who sat on Gidon’s council plotted to overthrow his rule and take Gidon’s place as king. They must know that to do so, they would have to take out his cadre as well. Whoever was planning this was confident they could assassinate his king, himself, Lachlan and Talon; then their enforcers —a feat they should know is impossible, yet they believed it. That meant they had might with them that Drac should not underestimate.
“Tehdra, Tzar. Work relentlessly until the traitors in this keep is uncovered. When found there will be no hearing.”
“Drac what are you saying?” his father asked. “Our king has worked tirelessly to implement laws within our society, and you threaten that foundation with your order.”
Drac looked at his father distantly. The coldness had spread to encase everything inside of him. “They will seek to hide behind such laws to further their plot against our king. There will be no hearing, no trial. Just retribution.”
Savage satisfaction howled inside of him when he espied a similar resolve within Tehdra.
“Gidon will not be brought down while we live,” she swore and shiktred away with Tzar at her heels.
With a nod to his father Drac flowed with the shadows, standing on the highest turret of his keep, overlooking his domain. War was inevitable…and he had a mate who could be exploited. A mate he had been thinking of claiming despite his fears. We have to give her up.
No, his demon beast hissed.