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“Kora.” Jael did not even have to think about it.
Eris smiled wanly. “Indeed. He insulted Lady Mab in front of half the elder court last night.”
“Of course he did. Perhaps Father should exile him and be done with it.”
A strange expression crossed Eris’s face that Jael couldn’t interpret through the obelisk. While the image of his brother was easy to see, the communication stone distorted things, as if they were viewing one another through a veil of water that rippled and stilled at irregular intervals.
But after another wave passed, Eris remained stoic as always.
“Yes. Perhaps exile would do him some good,” Eris agreed, but he sounded noncommitted, as if his mind was somewhere else. “But, knowing Kora, he would view his exile as a vacation and be happier for it.”
Jael snorted. Their little brother probably would. They both knew how Kora felt about his upcoming appointment as Minister of Goblinborn Affairs. It was an important position Kora was unsuited for. But King Ereb only had three sons.
As the eldest, Eris was destined to take over for their father when the time came. Until then, he was the king’s right hand in all things. Jael, the middle child, had shown a proficiency for runes since an early age. The decision to send him to Imenborg to take over for the old Runemaster when he died at the ripe old age of a hundred and two went uncontested by the entire court. That left Kora to handle Goblinborn Affairs.
A knot twisted in Jael’s stomach. “Kora still lobbying for my position?”
Eris shot him a knowing look. “Absolutely. He fancies himself more suited to the care of runestones than the management of the goblinborn.”
“Cannot say that I blame him.” Had their roles been reversed, Jael would have been unhappy too. The goblinborn were unruly and impossible to control, like a wild mob of children that never grew up. Keeping them in line required a firm hand and strict boundaries. They needed rules and structure and constant guidance. They were treasured...special...hence an entire political office dedicated to their welfare...but they were challenging and very, very complicated. “For all intents and purposes, Kora might as well be one of the goblinborn he is tasked to control.”
Eris sighed. “But he isn’t. He’s an elder and should behave himself.”
“I’m not arguing that fact. Few would want his job, is all I am saying. It’s not for the faint of heart.”
“Kora? Faint of heart?” For the first time, a glimmer of amusement crossed his brother’s face.
Jael flashed his teeth in a return smile. “You know what I mean.”
“I do. But can you imagine Kora trying to manage the runestones? He’d bring the mountains down on us before a month had passed.”
“I shudder to think of it.”
“As do I. But Father is determined. He’s reached the end of his patience.”
Jael’s smile slipped away as he tried to make sense of his brother’s words. What exactly was King Ereb determined to do with his wayward son?
“How are things on your end? I’ve been eager for a report.”
Jael chafed at the change of subject, suspecting it a deliberate move on his brother’s part. His mouth twitched. “Your concern is...appreciated...although unwarranted. I’m handling things here at Imenborg.”
“Naturally. But Father’s been complaining about the Bifrost. There have been vibrations all the way to Elysium. I can only imagine what is happening on your end.” Eris eyed him, his expression grave and concerned.
Vibrations in Elysium meant earthquakes and rifts in Imenborg, which had been escalating at a disturbing rate the past two months. Jael had increased his rounds three-fold to keep the runestones intact.
But he put on a brave front for his brother’s sake. “Nothing I cannot handle. As I will tell Father in my report. The runes are holding strong, and I have everything in hand.”
“Of course you do.” Eris’s smile remained pasted on his face. “But a second set of hands can always be useful.”
A second set of hands would only complicate things.
But Jael kept the remark to himself. “Like I said, I’ve got this covered. No need for concern.”
“Relieved to hear it.” A second voice cut in before Eris finished his thought. The image of his brother turned away and then stepped to the side, disappearing from the obelisk. The erect figure of King Ereb moved to take his place. With sharply slanted eyebrows, the king of Agmon had the appearance of a hawk on the hunt. His keen eyes, set in a square pale face, missed very little. “Although, those vibrations are cause for investigation, I assume.”
“You assume correctly, Father.” Jael stood a little taller and locked his hands behind his back. “I am already deep in my investigations. I will be traveling to the border today to investigate a fault line in the Bifrost that has been unusually active. I suspect a runestone needs reinforcing. Nothing out of the ordinary. No cause for alarm.”
“Vibrations of this magnitude are always cause for alarm, Jael.”
