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“I didn’t need to.”
Rythos sucked in an audible breath. “You’ve broken your own laws.”
Verdion sneered at his son. Then he turned to Conreth, bowing his head. “With your permission, I take my leave.”
Conreth watched him as if he were a poisonous snake that had slithered beneath his bed when he wasn’t looking.“You have made a mistake here today, Verdion. I hope your island does not pay the price.”
“Just as your people chose to disregard us so long ago, we choose not to engage with your foolish war.”
Conreth continued watching Verdion for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. To his credit, Verdion met his gaze. Then Conreth flicked his eyes away, dismissing him. Verdion’s jaw clenched, and he stalked out of the summit. Above our heads, others were leaving too. Likely, his people.
I sighed. I’d hoped Verdion would make the better choice. We needed his ships and their capabilities.
Finally, Conreth narrowed his eyes at Sylvielle. “And you?”
“We will not fight side by side with hybrids and humans,” she said haughtily.“The creatures in my territory can handle any possible threat from Regner.”
Conreth dismissed her with the wave of his hand. Her face flushed, and she looked at Lorian. He simply shook his head, as if he’d expected the worst and yet she’d still managed to surprise him with her stupidity.
“I declare this summit ended,” Conreth said. He met Lorian’s eyes. “Thorn, Romydan, and I will meet you at the barrier.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Just when I’d thought I could no longer be surprised by the ignorance, foolishness, and poor judgment of men, they continued to prove me wrong.
The Gromalian king smiled across the dinner table at Sabium, somehow blind to the threat dripping from the slow smile Sabium sent back.
Eryndan was clearly unable to see the way Sabium’s eyes glinted with suppressed mirth. And if there was one thing I knew about my husband, it was that he was never laughing with you.
Next to Eryndan, his son was more reserved, as if lost in thought. Sabium had mostly ignored him, which Rekja seemed perfectly content with.
“So, we are agreed,” Sabium said. “Together, we will take back this continent.”
“First, I would like to discuss the hybrid camp you insisted I target. Imagine my surprise when I learned that someone had given them an advance warning, and several hundred of my most competent men were dead.”
My stomach clenched.Sabium’s smile was slow and cold. “I do hope you’re not insinuating that I had anything to do with that. My goal has always been for every hybrid on this continent to burn.”
“I’m insinuating that perhaps someone in either your castle or your army has a problem with discretion.”
I didn’t move. I barely breathed. Rekja’s eyes met mine, and I immediately lowered them to my plate, forcing my hand not to shake as I took a tasteless bite.
“The hybrids are cunning, with a network of spies. It’s likely that one of them learned of your attack and informed the others.”
“You have similar problems on a larger scale,” Eryndan said, handing him a piece of parchment. Sabium skimmed it, then casually tossed it aside.
Craning my neck, I caught the last paragraph.
Denial might seem the easier path, brushing aside these truths as mere fabrication. Yet, a moment of reckoning is upon each of us.
Will you rise, defending future generations and guarding the innocent? Or will you allow Sabium’s lies to destroy the little goodness left on this continent?
Choose wisely.
“Not a larger scale at all,” Sabium said, his tone bored. “The people of this kingdom have spent their lives loathing the corrupt. They won’t believe them now.”
He spoke with such self-assurance that even with everything I knew to be true, even after everything I’d seen with my own two eyes, I felt myself questioning my own mind.
Eryndan pressed his lips together, his gaze on Sabium. After a long moment, he nodded. “We can discuss strategy at a later date, but I would like to know your plan for the fae on that island so close to my kingdom,” Eryndan said.
