AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So you think Grey wants a life of wealth, respect, and comfort?” Nik said.
“Yes, and for all Grey’s moral failings, he’s never been a fool. I think he knows he won’t easily find that life anywhere near the Mages’ Guild or the court. In the time I was with him, I never heard him say anything about the capital. In fact, in his whole time in Tartora, he always carefully avoided it.” I looked at Nik with a challenging expression. “Isn’t that right? You tracked him the longest.”
Nik brows lowered. “You’re right. He never went near the capital.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Gia asked. “If Grey never actually wanted the throne, shouldn’t we all be relieved? Why do you look so uncomfortable, Delphine?”
I grimaced. “He didn’t talk about the capital, but he did mention somewhere else. Here. Grey spent his childhood and youth believing he and his mother should be living a life of comfort in Eldrida instead of scratching out a lonely existence in the crevasse. He believed his mother could have used her ability to mesmerize to make a place for them here.”
“And Nik said from the beginning that Grey had contacts here—that it would be the most likely place for him to come,” Amara said slowly.
“And now that we’re here,” I said, “we’ve found that the city is changing. They’ve closed the gates and all unrest is being directed toward the capital. People are complaining that Tarona doesn’t care about the easterners and that they do nothing for Eldrida.” I looked at Hayes. “You described Miro as turning the law keepers’ hall into a fortress against Grey, but it seems to me it could be something else. Miro could be turning it into a palace.”
Gia and Nik sprang to their feet simultaneously.
“You’re saying Miro is trying to secede from the kingdom with the eastern part of Tartora?” Gia cried.
“I never liked him,” Nik said in tones of contempt. “He was the sort to muss your hair and say something condescending just because you were a child.”
“I’m not sure that makes him villainous,” Luna said, earning herself a united glare from the twins.
“I agree with Luna,” I said. “This Miro might be self-important and self-serving, but the timing is a bit too convenient, don’t you think?”
“You suspect Grey has already mesmerized Miro and is working from the shadows?” Amara asked.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I said. “Who knows how many lies he’s pumped him with? If Grey is happy with a high position and a luxurious life, he might be willing to lurk behind Miro’s rule for the rest of his life, knowing his position of influence will always be secure. Grey has always been good at working out what motivates an individual and how that can be used to his advantage. If he’s familiar with Eldrida, then he likely already knew Miro’s nature. He would have known that Miro had the conceit and ambition to tear Tartora down the middle, if he only believed he could do it safely.”
“The rest of the kingdom won’t stand for it!” Gia said fiercely.
“Oh, they won’t be happy about it,” Hayes said. “But how far do you think they’ll go to stop it? If Grey can use Miro and the other officials to convince the easterners they’re better off on their own, it would mean all-out war to stop it.”
Gia instantly deflated. “Father won’t want to kill people in large numbers—not the soldiers he’d have to send, or the easterners either. Instead, he’ll try to send a few powerful individuals to infiltrate Miro’s circle and put an end to it at the top. But all he’ll be doing is sending them into Grey’s clutches.”
“Calista are close allies, but they’re also still in the beginning stages of rebuilding,” Nik added. “They won’t have the resources to aid us in a drawn-out conflict.”
I glanced at Luna who was biting her lip and looking away. Nik was right.
“And the nomad tribes are used to doing things a different way,” he continued. “They elect their monarchs, so if Miro can convince them he’s acting according to the will of the people, they may side with him over us.”
“But the people won’t actually be better off,” I said, remembering the islanders. “It’s all lies about the capital not helping them. Grey himself is the one who first created that storm, and he’s the one who provoked the Constantines into strengthening it. King Marius might not get everything right, but the very fact he won’t attack proves he does care about the people. Grey, on the other hand, only cares about using them for his own gain. If Miro becomes king of the east with Grey behind him, no one in the new kingdom will ever be safe, even inside their own minds.”
“We can’t let that happen,” Gia declared.
“But hold on,” Hayes said. “The theory bears weight, but if Grey’s here already, preparing a position for himself, shouldn’t there be some sign of him? It can’t serve his purposes to be too far in the background, not from what you’re describing, Delphine.”
“Actually,” I said, “I think we already have had news of him.”
Everyone frowned at me with varying levels of confusion.
“You were the one to hear, Hayes. You said there was a newcomer who immediately took up a position close to Miro.”
“But he has an elements affinity,” Hayes said. “Do you mean Grey is using one of his followers to stand in on his behalf?”
I shook my head. “Grey is wily, and even without using mesmerizations, he’s well practiced at presenting lies in a way that will evade a healer’s truth telling ability. In fact, this is one particular lie he’s used before. When we first arrived on the island, he successfully convinced the rest of the Constantines that I had an elements affinity since he didn’t want to confess I was a healer. What if he’s done the same thing here for himself?”
“That’s a sickening thought,” Luna said in a horrified voice. “He’s already here and right under our noses!”
“Coming to Eldrida seems reckless now,” Amara murmured. “We didn’t even consider that Grey might not only be here but in a position of power already.” She looked at me, fear in her eyes. “We practically announced ourselves at the gate, and then we let you wander all over the city. If Grey hasn’t already heard of it, he will soon.”
