Page 77 of A Dawn of Gods & Fury

“Now is not the time for breeding diplomacy. There are beasts spilling into our lands and a fate sitting on a throne. Every day we waste is a day our people suffer and another day Malachi is given to grasp for more power.” Zander’s tone brokers no argument.

“He is not wrong,” Solange says, giving me pause.

I turn to the Second. “What would you do if you were named Prime?”

“Do you wish honesty or vague promises?”

“I don’t have time for anything but honesty.” The shore is approaching fast.

“I would tell you that Mordain is willing to work with Ybaris as allies, but we serve it no longer. I would insist on keeping our elementals here, rather than collared and locked up in a tower to be used as the queen’s playthings.” She pauses. “But if you are asking me if I want the role, my answer must be no.”

That, I didn’t expect. “Why not?”

“My Shadows are my focus, not the politics of this place.”

“Some would say that is precisely why you should be named leader,” Zander counters.

“I hold a place as Second so I may press the Prime for her decisions. That is my purpose on the council. I am not adept at kissing anyone’s arse, not even a queen’s.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t surround myself with anyone who kisses my arse.”

“You could claim it.” Zander’s words cut into all other thought.

“Me? No—”

“Why not? You are the most powerful caster they have, and you will not suffer the same fate as a mortal one. And you know what is at stake better than anyone.”

“No.” The single word is delivered with as much force as I can manage without yelling. “I’m not running around killing people and collecting crowns. That does make me a tyrant. I am not Genghis fucking Khan.”

Zander’s chest rises and I brace myself for an argument.

“As much as it pains me to say this, Allegra would be an effective Prime,” Solange cuts in, much to my relief.

“The other Second?”

“Yes. The one who aided the scribes in their mission. She walks a fine line between what is right and what is beneficial to her, but her heart is with Mordain, and she values prophecy and the scribes’ purpose.” She adds quietly, “I think the last few days have proven how wrong our people have been to dismiss their value.”

“And you like her?” I ask cautiously, recalling Agatha’s words.

“Like Allegra?” Solange chuckles. “I cannot stand the caster. She is far too conniving. Still, I pray she is well within those walls. You need a suitable replacement for Lorel. Unless she has betrayed the scribes, she is your best hope.”

“And if she has betrayed them?” Zander asks.

“Then you will need to replace not just a Prime but also a Second.” Her tone leaves little to wonder. Solange will slaughter the Second herself if she must.

I peer back at the jeweled castle now in the distance. The turrets could easily be spotted sparkling in the late afternoon sun, long before Caindra landed. Now I’ve witnessed firsthand why Argon is talked about often and by many.

Unfortunately, there was no excuse for four Shadows and a Master Scribe to stop there on our way to Mordain. I’m curious to see what secrets it holds, of Neilina and her plans. “When the Prime is dealt with, Argon is our next stop,” Zander says, as if reading my mind.

My nerves form a hard ball in the pit of my stomach as I consider the mammoth stone wall ahead. It reminds me of a great dam, except smooth—surely built by stone casters. Beyond it, spires reach into the evening sky like jagged fingernails. They’re dark and Gothic and unwelcoming, nothing like the splendor of Cirilea or Argon. Maybe that’s intentional, though. A deterrent.

“This is all Nyos?” I ask, regarding the sloping hill before the wall, peppered with colorful houses and thatched roofs and gardens.

“Yes. Beyond the wall is the guild and school, but most have homes outside of it.”

“And everyone who lives here is a caster?”

“That is correct. The children sent from Ybaris are placed with new families here. When they are old enough, they attend schooling, but we’ve always felt it important that they feel at home in Mordain. Many of them are swiftly cast out by their mortal Ybarisan families, who want nothing to do with a child touched by the fates.”

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