Page 32 of Sundered By Fate

Olaya gave a shallow bow. "Lord Regent. We've uncovered much that I believe will be of interest to you."

"And who is this?" Valerian's gaze fell on Aric for the first time, eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the wild tangle of Aric's sandy hair and his weather-beaten face.

"Forgive me," Aric said, dropping into a perfunctory bow. He should have prepared a better story—yet he still had only frayed threads to work from. "I am Aric Solarian, a mage of the Silver Tower."

Instantly, Valerian's entire demeanor shifted. The impatience melted away, replaced by something colder and more calculating.

"Ah," he said softly, brushing back a loose lock of silver hair. "So you are the one I've heard so much about."

Aric forced himself to meet that piercing stare head-on. "It seems there are many stories about me circulating these days," he said carefully. "Few of them flattering."

Valerian's lips curled into a sardonic smile as he settled behind his desk once more. "Indeed. But I've always found it best to learn the truth for myself."

"Then I hope you will listen to the truths we bring you," Aric said.

Valerian's attention shifted to the rest of Aric's companions, who had taken their places around the opulent chamber. Olayastood tall and dignified, though Aric sensed the simmering tension coiling beneath her calm exterior. Ruta's arms were crossed as she surveyed the room, her expression hard. And Davin . . .

Well. Aric tried not to look too closely at Davin.

"We received your warnings about these magical 'anomalies,'" Valerian said, lacing the word with skepticism. "But you'll forgive me if I'm reluctant to place them on equal footing with the very real and present demon threat that we face."

"They are as great a threat, if not more so," Aric replied firmly. "Unpredictable. Erratic. Affecting both demon and human alike without regard for allegiance."

Valerian's eyes narrowed, and he leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "And yet you believe these anomalies can be traced back to a new weapon developed by the Silver Tower itself?"

Olaya hesitated, then glanced at Aric, her expression unreadable. "We have reason to suspect the disturbance is a reaction to certain breakthroughs achieved by our researchers." She lifted her chin. "But if so, it has already spiraled beyond their control."

Aric suppressed a frown. Why was she trying to shield the Silver Tower? Surely the Lord regent knew of the weapon, too.

Valerian's piercing blue eyes bored into Aric, searching for any sign of weakness or dishonesty.

"And what of you?" Valerian asked. "The infamous Aric Solarian, returned from the demon realm. You really think this is a greater threat than their renewed invasion? Their new ability to dissolve the wards around our kingdom’s borders?"

Aric steeled himself against that scrutiny. An invisible pressure pricked at the edges of his mind—some kind of magicalprobing. But instinctively he drew up mental walls, blocking out the intrusion.

Valerian's expression flickered, a hint of frustration in his expression before it smoothed over once more.

"What I saw there was enough to make me fear for both realms' safety," Aric said slowly, choosing each word with care. "If we do not act swiftly and decisively, I believe things will only continue to worsen."

Valerian's eyes remained locked on him, weighing his words and their implications.

"And why exactly should we care what threat these so-called 'anomalies' pose to the demon armies?" Valerian's voice took on a new sharpness. "If anything, we should be looking for a way to harness them as weapons against our enemy."

Aric faltered, searching for a quick counter to Valerian's argument, but he found nothing that didn't involve exposing aspects of his time amongst the demons that he’d rather not share. Silence stretched taut in the chamber, the other courtiers shifting uncomfortably as they watched Valerian and Aric locked in a battle of wills.

"The demon threat is still very real and present," Valerian pressed, undeterred. "Their forces gather even now on our borders, preparing for a renewed assault. And you expect me to divert my attention to some . . . magical curiosity?"

"They are already far more than a curiosity," Aric said through gritted teeth. "We saw firsthand the devastation they wrought on the city of Brenville. It is only a matter of time before?—"

Valerian rose from his chair in one fluid motion, moving around his desk to stand directly in front of Aric.

“I do not discount the value of magic,” Valerian said swiftly. “Do not mistake me for a paranoid Pureblade, or superstitious simpleton. I know what it is capable of. And I know that ourmagic—human magic, true magic—is capable of so much more than what the demons wield. Yet they have their advantages, too.” Valerian cut his eyes toward Aric. “If we are to beat them, it will be through honing our magics to a lethal point and allowing these beasts to impale themselves on it.”

Aric’s mouth opened, working silently as he tried to find an angle of approach. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected from the regent, but it was hardly—this. “I agree that the difference in human and demon magics are vast, but altering our own beyond sustainability?—”

"And you," Valerian said softly, "an expert in demon magics yourself. Where do your loyalties truly lie? With your fellow mages here? With your precious Silver Tower?" He leaned in close enough for Aric to feel the heat of his breath on his skin. "Or have you truly turned your back on them all?"

Aric flinched away from Valerian's touch, and Olaya quickly stepped forward to interpose herself between them.

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