Page 49 of Caress of Fire
“You have to tell Fedryc.” Silva put the paper down.
“No!” Marielle turned fierce eyes to Silva and the girl stared back with wide, fearful eyes. “Fedryc must know nothing about this. My brother’s life depends on it.”
“But,” Silva began, looking with dismay at the bloody message. “What will you do? This is a trap.”
“I have to find a way to reach Ignio Marula without Fedryc knowing. It’s the only way to save Devan.”
As Silva stared, Marielle knew what she had to do. It was foolish but it was the only solution.
“Fedryc is meeting an important High Lord this morning. That will give me enough time to slip away in a hover transport.” Marielle bent over and stared hard at Silva. “I will need a weapon.”
“Fedryc is the High Lord. He ordered you to stay safe,” Silva protested. “I already betrayed him once.”
Marielle shook her head and leaned into Silva’s space. The girl’s eyes widened. “You will tell no one about this.”
Silva hesitated, then opened her mouth.
“No.” Marielle shook her head. “If you betray me, Devan’s death will be on you. And I’ll never forgive you.”
Silva took her time, her silver eyes going from Marielle to the bloody piece of paper, then nodded.
* * *
Fedryc walkedthrough the now familiar hallways, his mind full of dark thoughts. There had been no new contact from Virhot since he’d found the massacre of the mixed-blood people and their families at the border, but the calm was ominous in more than one way.
He could only be grateful that his own people didn’t seem to share this taste for violence. No reports of Human-Delradon altercations had come from the capital Gelmor, nor from any other regions of his kingdom.
Still, Henron was keeping a close eye on his people. The Knat-Kanassis had a history of infiltrating the masses and inciting to violence from below the surface until all hells broke loose and blood bathed the streets.
Fedryc stopped at the door to the landing platform.
The future of his entire kingdom was going to play out on the other side of those doors. He needed an ally in his war against Virhot, more so if Lord Anion had allies of his own. There was too much he didn’t know, too much he still didn’t control in this kingdom he was still discovering.
And that would make gaining the loyalty of any other High Lord extremely difficult. But he had no choice and Marielle’s safety depended on it.
He pushed the door, welcoming the sharp wind on his face as he came to stand in front of the tall, blond High Lord of Katanie.
“Lord Aldric Darragon,” Fedryc said, inclining his head slightly in welcome. “It is an honor to welcome you to Aalstad.”
Lord Aldric’s cold stare settled on Fedryc and his mouth took on a hostile curve.
“The High Lord of Aalstad was not a friend in the past.” Lord Aldric stared at him while his dragon flew over them, far above the castle but a foreboding presence nonetheless. Fedryc could only hope Nyra restrained her territorial instincts and didn’t attack the intruder while he was trying to broker the alliance. “What changed?”
There was a lot Fedryc could say, but nothing that would really mean anything to this powerful High Lord who stood stiffly against the wind.
“I am not my father,” Fedryc stated simply. Because this was the truth, and the only one that mattered.
Lord Aldric sustained his stare for a long time, then he nodded once in agreement. “Neither am I.” His thin lips stretched in a cold smile. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. “There was a particular threat you wanted to talk to me about.”
Fedryc nodded. He would have to tread lightly here. The world of Draekon High Lords was not one of trust, and this man was a stranger.
“You fought the Knat-Kanassis threat in your kingdom some time ago. I read the reports while I was at the Emperor’s court on Dagmar.” Fedryc didn’t miss the slight raising of Lord Aldric’s eyebrows at the mention of the order, nor did he miss the way the other Draekon subtly moved his hand closer to the hilt of his dragon blade.
“Two years ago.” Lord Aldric spoke in an icy tone. “They tried to kill my Draekarra and murdered many of my citizens.”
Fedryc nodded, the grim knowledge filling the void between the words. He knew what had happened in Katanie two years earlier, knew the horrors the Knat-Kanassis had committed against the population. Horrors he would do anything to prevent in Aalstad. And danger facing his Draekarra he would fight to the death to prevent. “I have good reasons to believe the Knat-Kanassis is still here on Earth, and more powerful than before.”
Lord Aldric frowned, then made a small cutting gesture with the hand not hovering by his dragon blade. “The Knat-Kanassis were destroyed, along with Lord Misrael.” He shook his head, his features curving downward in an open and rare display of emotion. “Their Lord of Purity. That is what he called himself. He’s gone now, and so are they. Rhyl and I killed them.”
