Page 33 of Sundered By Fate

"Lord Regent," she said firmly. "I assure you Aric is quite dedicated to our cause." Her eyes flickered with something Aric couldn't decipher. "Any questions about Mage Solarian's actions during his captivity can wait until our official debrief tomorrow. The Silver Tower and Pureblade Order will be conducting a joint questioning then, and you are welcome to ask anything you wish to know then, but until?—"

"I am welcome to do whatever I want. And what I want is to destroy the demonic threat once and for all." Valerian glared right through Aric. "Anything you know that will enable that—that's what I care about. Not some—disturbancein your spells."

"You are far too dismissive of the larger picture, Lord Regent," Aric said, the room starting to feel stiflingly hot around him. "These disturbances are not isolated phenomena. They are indicative of a deeper, more pervasive breakdown of the veryfabric of our world. A breakdown that could render us powerless to face any threat, demon or otherwise."

Valerian raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "And what evidence do you have to support this dramatic claim, Mage Solarian?"

Aric's temper flared. His fingers twitched, and tendrils of golden magic curled around his hands before he could stop them. He clenched his fists, trying to quash the unruly power threatening to escape.

"Enough to warrant taking action, rather than waiting until it's too late."

The golden glow danced over his skin as his control slipped further. Magic sparked and crackled in the air around him, the building heat palpable against his cheeks. Aric's sigil burned white-hot against his back, his senses raw and overstimulated.

"You think we can afford to be complacent because we hold a fragile edge over our enemies? That complacency will be our undoing."

With those words, the tension snapped.

Aric's magic surged in a brilliant flare, washing the room in harsh golden light. Papers fluttered from Valerian's desk; the silken drapes rustled as if in a gale.

All eyes turned to Aric—the other courtiers, Olaya and Ruta and Davin—and he knew he'd revealed more about himself than he'd intended. The sigil on his back sizzled with approval even as he fought to tamp it down.

Valerian's eyes widened in shock before narrowing into thin slits. He looked at Aric now like a new weapon that had appeared on his rack—something to be wielded with deadly precision.

Aric mumbled an apology, though for what he wasn't sure, and resumed his seat. But he knew the damage was already done.

"Fear not," Valerian said, smoothing a nonexistent crease from his robe. "I shall be certain to attend the questioning myself tomorrow. I expect it will prove most illuminating. Perhaps then we can discuss these so-called anomalies in more detail." His gaze flitted over Aric, assessing and weighing. "For now, I bid you welcome back to Astaria. But do keep in mind—every decision you make here will have consequences. The court is a nest of vipers, Mage Solarian, and one would be wise not to disturb them unnecessarily."

Valerian gave a small flick of his wrist, and the doors swung open behind him.

"You are dismissed."

Olaya opened her mouth as if to protest, but whatever look Valerian gave her overrode it, and she simply nodded instead.

They followed the aide out into the hallway once more, the courtiers' curious stares pricking at Aric's back as they went. As the heavy doors of the antechamber closed behind them, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

What in all the realms had just happened in there?

"You did well," Olaya said quietly, moving alongside him. "Better than I expected, at least."

Aric frowned at her, but she just shook her head. He couldn't press her for answers with so many listening ears around them.

He'd known returning to human lands wouldn't be easy. But he'd never imagined it would feel so much like stepping into a different realm altogether.

At least when he'd stood before demon lords, their machinations had been all too clear.

As they made their way back through the palace toward the enclave of mage quarters set aside for them, Aric looked around at the courtiers clustered in dim alcoves, whispering behind their fans and goblets of wine. Their laughter was like knives onstone; their eyes were forever shifting, searching for weakness or advantage to exploit.

And they were all watching him now.

Aric set his jaw and kept his shoulders back as they passed through the throngs of guards and servants bustling about their duties. But inside he felt like prey caught in a hunter's sights—no matter how strong or capable he was on his own, there was nowhere left for him to hide from their scrutiny.

They'd all have their opinions about him now—about what he had done while gone. Whether it truly mattered in the face of this new threat remained to be seen.

But Aric's heart pounded with certainty: whatever game they wanted him to play, whatever power struggles and intrigues lay ahead—he would not be played this time. He'd survived the trials of the demon realm with his morals intact; he'd faced down horrors and evil there that would destroy them all if left unchecked.

He was done with masks and disguises. Done pretending to be someone else's idea of a hero or villain.

The real battle had just begun—and Aric intended to win it on his own terms.

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