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Salem chuckled at the Dark Prime’s honesty. “Whatever Cord’s Cast ismeantto be and what it is, I think is irrelevant for now. He bears the Mark of Velvore, and he is guided by the Ancients—I pray that he is, anyway. But this does not help us with the problem of Cornelius or that Tegan and Marcus are on their way there.”
“You sent them without a Castor?”
“Of course not, Jameis went ahead. Marcus wanted to use it as a training exercise.” Salem smiled slightly. “He may not think favourably of his teacher anymore, but I do not think he realises how much he is still influenced by Leonid’s teachings.”
“He really holds so much influence over Akrhyn, he has taught so many,” Lucas commented thoughtfully. “Could that be why he is the Father, for his teachings?”
Salem’s eyebrows rose slightly in consideration. “It could be. Yes, that makes sense.”
“I cannot go to House Ivanov, Cornelius will suspect. I can try and intercept Marcus on his way there, warn him.”
“Whatever you can do, Dark Prime,” Salem murmured thoughtfully. “I will call council with my Commander and the other Houses loyal to House Holt. It is time to move in the open and let them know we are preparing for war.”
“Do you trust Council Elder Warren?”
“I think so.” Salem frowned. “I don’t know anymore, but yes, I think Warren, Carnain and Anika.”
“Council Elder Novack?”
“He is a strange Vampyre, he did not seek Solitude, but he also offered no aid. He is too distant, and distance brings complacency.”
“I agree. He has been detached from his duties for a long time.” Lucas nodded. “I agree with your thoughts, but sound out Farsin. He is new to the role and seems too eager to please Cornelius in the meetings, but I cannot imagine he passed Anika’s testing if his loyalty was in doubt.”
“It seems inevitable that I would be the one to tackle the politics.” Salem folded his hands in front of him as he rested his arms on the table.
“You are best suited,” Lucas said with a smile. “Besides, it is good practice for when you take your own place on the Council.”
“I have no desire to do so,” Salem replied firmly.
“Which is exactly why you’ll be nominated and voted in and no one will listen to your protests.”
“And we call ourselvesadvanced,” Salem scoffed.
Lucas stood and pulled his hood low over his forehead as he opened his pouches that held his powders. “I must go, how long since they left?”
“Three hours,” Salem told him as he looked to the clock. “They should be halfway there, if not more. Tegan travels fast, she will not slow Marcus down if he remains in his Akrhyn form.”
Lucas studied the map on the wall of Salem’s study, he pointed to an area as he looked over at Salem. “Here?”
Salem studied the map and moved Lucas’s finger slightly south. “They’re fast, here.”
“Be strong, be swift, be safe,” Lucas said as he cast the portal spell.
“I will.” Salem watched the Dark Prime Castor portal and looked at the map again. His thoughts were racing with all the things that seemed to be happening at once. He had a brief moment where he genuinely didn’t know where to start. With a final glance at the map and reluctantly placing his worry about his daughter and friend to the side, he left his study. Worrying about them wouldn’t help anyone and would only distract himself, and now, more than ever, he needed to be focused.
He would start with the Houses loyal to House Holt. Then he would approach the Council Elders and try to determine who was on his side of the upcoming fight. As Salem made his way to Commander Bryce’s quarters, he tried to contain his anger that, with a Drakhyn war looming, now was the time Cornelius Ivanov decided to make his move against Akrhyn.
How any Akrhyn could think that the two weren’t connected made them not only ignorant but complicit, in Salem’s opinion.
Commander Bryce was in the main hall, at the foot of the stairs, talking to Elite Sentinel Jasper. As Salem approached, he thought it looked as if the Elite Sentinel had caught his Commander before he retired for the night. Salem almost felt guilty that he was about to keep the Commander from his bed longer.
“Commander?” Salem called as Bryce turned away from Jasper to ascend the stairs. He saw the Commander’s shoulders slump a little before he turned to greet him. “A word?”
“Of course, Principal Elder.” Bryce turned from the stairs.
“Elite Sentinel Jasper, could you find my son for me please and tell him I need him in the study?” Salem asked.
“Principal Elder.” Jasper gave a sharp nod as he turned for the library.
