Page 86 of House of Embers
He drew her back out of the crypt, locking the door behind him. The peace he’d achieved in there carried up the halls until they wereonce more in the waiting room. Delle and Adelaide looked relieved to see him.
“Two minutes,” Delle promised and then shut them in the room alone.
They watched the ever-growing crowd overlooking the valley.
A knock sounded at the door, and Kerrigan expected to see Delle walk in again, but it was Prescott.
“Cousin,” Fordham said, clapping him by the forearm. “I thought I wouldn’t hear from you.”
“My apologies. I didn’t want to give myself away.” Prescott had color back in his cheeks, but sadness exuded from his person. He looked flustered and uncomfortable. What had Barron done to him? “I just came to tell you that Barron said he isn’t going to challenge you.”
“What?” Kerrigan asked.
“Why would he say that?” Fordham asked.
Prescott sighed. “It’s the dragons. He wants to bond with a dragon. That hadn’t been a possibility before. He thinks it’s better to get a dragon and go to war than to fight this civil war.” He paused a moment before adding, “And I agree with him.”
“We would never trust him with a dragon,” Kerrigan snapped.
“He thinks he can force a wartime bond. He read about it happening during the Great War. We have more to fear from him in that regard than with this denouncement.” Prescott backed up. “That’s all. I need to get going.”
“Cousin, I assure you no matter what happens, this is your last day undercover. I will remove you to safety after this.”
Prescott nodded and then he left.
Giving Barron a dragon would be as lethal as Bastian having one. It would be unconscionable to allow that to happen, a death sentence in its own way. No one would allow that. She’d have to tell Tieran.
“It’s time, Your Majesty,” Delle said.
They headed out of their waiting room to a round of applausefrom the assembled Fae from the House of Shadows. Fordham kept his head held high, shadows at the ready, as he walked to the valley floor.
On either side of him was a contingent of Fae from the Laurent and Blanchard families. Viviana Blanchard was in a regal ornamental dress, her ears adorned with silver coverings studded with rubies and diamonds. Jewelry dotted her wrists and fingers, and a heavily gem-encrusted necklace dangled low between her breasts. She looked more like she was fit for a ball than what had once been a grassy battlefield.
Barron Laurent had no such qualms. He was in a general’s uniform, the black insignia of his family against his left breast and a string of silver cords slung up to the right shoulder. A more formal cravat was missing, and instead, his shirt was buttoned all the way up over his pale throat with a high collar. His stark-white hair was slicked back off his face, making him look even more severe. His gaze was impassive as Fordham took his position as the highest rank there.
Adelaide stepped forward after a nod from Fordham. “Ladies, gentlemen, and all those assembled,” she began, her voice amplified by air magic, “thank you for joining us today for an official kathiria e sendera, the likes of which we have not seen in my lifetime.”
A roar went up as the Fae stretched for ages across the valley floor. Kerrigan wasn’t sure how many of them could even see what was happening. This would have been better in an arena, but there was no arena here.
“A denouncement has been called. Any who wish to issue an official kathiria e sendera to His Majesty Fordham Ollivier in combat for the right to his throne, now is the time to do so.” Adelaide was silent another beat. “The fight ends when one of the contenders is dead. There will be no clemency given. Issue your contestation at your own peril.”
Then she stepped back to wait.
Fordham had told Kerrigan that traditionally, it went either one of two ways—no one contested the throne, oreveryonedid. But usually the latter only happened when clemency was offered. Most didn’t want to risk their lives for the mere hope of a throne.
Viviana looked first to Celeste, the Fae from the Blanchard family on the war council, and her daughter Aurelie, who squeezed her mother’s hand. Celeste nodded at her, allowing her the chance to do the honors. Viviana stepped forward, and Kerrigan held her breath. “The Blanchard family puts forth no contest. Our denouncement has closed.”
Fordham held his hand out to Viviana, who took it uncertainly as if she expected him to kill her without notice.
“I have no quarrel with your family and hope to remain allies in this war,” he said.
“As do I,” she said.
She stepped back. He hadn’t thought that Viviana would put forth a competitor, but there had always been a risk.
Instead of Barron stepping forward, René from the war council did. “The Laurent family puts forth no contest.”
Fordham raised an eyebrow as René thrust his hand forward, as if he could physically put himself between him and Barron. Fordham took his hand.
