Page 21 of Midnight Kingdom

“I have seen the truth, my liege. And it is a truth that revealed that only you, the one true king, could reshape the realms and evolve magic in a way that has never been seen before.”

“There’s so much that needs to be done,” he states as he shakes his head and sighs.

“There will soon be enough magic to tear down the barriers between the realms once and for all,” I offer, hoping to lighten his mood.

“Then I will expand my borders and push towards the other kingdoms—those of the Veil and those of Silvanus’.”

“Yes, my king,” I say with a pronounced smile and nod. But there is still one more subject we need to touch on. “What of Theren?” I demand. “His allegiance to you is fragile at best, my king. Should we not do something about it? We have an army at our disposal.”

“Theren still has power as the Unseelie King. His defeat will not come easily.”

“But, it is necessary all the same. And defeating Theren will further strike fear into the hearts of those who doubt you,” I add.

Variant nods. “I can’t afford to have the people question my authority over the realms when I’m so close to getting everything.” He takes a breath and then faces me. “And it is important the people understand you serve me.”

He truly thinks I serve him? Pitiful. It’s almost enough to make me laugh.

Variant has no idea what sort of power churns within me and he has yet to even guess at my treachery.

I do not serve him.

He serves me and the fool has yet to understand that fact. Which is just as well. My plan is unfolding just as I intended and it requires continued patience and forethought.

If I’m to defeat the one who poses a threat to my very existence, I need Variant to play his part. The silly little pawn is clueless.

“What if we turn them against one another again?” He asks.

“Them?”

He nods and appears annoyed I’m not following his line of thinking. “Cambion and Theren.”

It’s my turn to nod. “Unleash decades of tension between them, brother against brother. Yes,” I say with a grin. “You are quite brilliant, my liege,” I compliment him though it was I who planted this seed in his mind. But Variant must believe the thought originated with him.

“They’ve forever hated one another,” Variant says.

“Yes, they have. And there’s a treasure trove of anger beneath Cambion’s icy facade. We can use it to our advantage.”

“I must admit your cunningness surprises me at times.” Variant’s smile is quite handsome, but it lacks the bloodlust that usually sends my heart aflutter.Even so, I stare at him from beneath my long lashes, giving him my best demure expression. Where usually he eats my praise like a starving man before a smorgasbord, now he appears perplexed, his mind elsewhere. I smile beguilingly at him.

“What holds your mind prisoner, my liege?” I ask.

He frowns and glances down at his fingertips where they strum against the arm of his throne. “The angel.”

“Why?” I ask.

“I… I don’t know. Her power…”

“Is nothing compared to yours,” I lie.

“I should have destroyed her when I had the chance,” he starts but then he shakes his head and stands, as though the very thought causes him duress.

“No,” I say. “We still need her.”

“I feel… I feel this… need,” he says as he begins pacing the room, stepping over the dead bodies that litter it. “I want her.”

“And so you shall have her, my king,” I say as I eye him knowingly. “Just follow my council as you have done.”

“I feel impatient where the angel is concerned,” he admits.

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