Page 86 of Path of the Dark
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Son of Mine
ELIAS STRODE INTO the throne room. His gaze swept to where his father sprawled in his throne. The Swallow Throne dwarfed the king; it was a carven silver monstrosity with a back the shape of a swallow’s tail.
Not slowing his pace, Elias walked across the vast floor toward the dais. All the while, his father watched him, tracking his progress. Elias passed rows of pillars the width of oak trunks. His boots whispered on the iron-grey marble that had been polished so that it shone like a shield boss.
As always, Reoul was dressed finely, in black leather breeches and a quilted silk vest that left his muscled arms bare. The king was alone, which surprised Elias. His father usually liked to have an audience in the throne room. His lover, Saskia, was normally in attendance, but not this afternoon.
Reoul had a dagger out, which he was idly playing with, flipping the blade from hand to hand. Elias recognized it instantly.Reaper—his father’s favorite knife. The jewel-studded hilt and long thin blade made the weapon easy to spot.
Misgiving feathered across the back of Elias’s neck. Blades were a core part of his father’s identity, and yet the way he rhythmically flipped and tossed the dagger made Elias wary.
The king wasn’t in a good mood.
Stopping a few feet back from the dais, Elias bowed low from the waist. “Good day, father.”
Silence stretched out between them, and when Reoul eventually spoke, his voice was soft. “Is it?”
Elias straightened up and met his gaze, waiting for the storm to hit.
“How did you manage to mess this up?” his father asked, his voice lowering further still.
“Santino thought I was taking too long to strike,” Elias replied carefully. “He took matters into his own hands, but the princess killed him. I was forced to flee.” Weaving such a lie chafed. Elias preferred the truth, as ugly as it was. However, he also was aware than being Reoul’s son wouldn’t save his neck from the noose. If his father knew the truth, he was a dead man.
As he’d anticipated, his excuse didn’t please the king. Reoul’s lip curled. “You ran without finishing the job?”
Elias stifled a wince. “Aye, father … thanks to Santino, my cover was blown.”
Reoul’s gaze burned. “Twice now you fail me … there won’t be a third time.”
Elias dropped his gaze to the floor. He didn’t do penitence well, yet he knew it was his only hope now. “I am sorry, father.”
“Not half as much as I am,” Reoul growled. “Two sons, both useless. I should have dealt with the girl myself.”
Anger stirred within Elias then.You’ll have your chance soon enough.He looked up, meeting his father’s eye once more. “I found out what happened to Saul,” he said coolly. “He retrieved that piece ofThe King Breakerfrom the Gordi Isles … but lost it. Saul died in the north trying to get the stone back.”
Reoul stared back at him, his expression as unyielding as ever. “Like I said …useless.”
A chill silence stretched out between them. “I’ve just heard that Rithmar marches on us,” Elias said finally.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”
“No … as soon as I left The Royal City, I traveled south as swiftly as I could.” He drew in a slow, deep breath. This wasn’t going to be easy—every word would have to be chosen carefully. “While I was at The Royal City, I negotiated peace with King Nathan,” he continued. “Over the space of a few days, we organized terms favorable to both kingdoms.”
Reoul snorted. “So what? It was all part of your role while you got close enough to the princess to kill her.”
“I dealt on your behalf in good faith, father. In return for us abandoning the leagueforts, Nathan agreed to order all Rithmar’s weaponry from us over the next decade. They’ve also agreed to buy in only Anthor wine. In return we will get most of our minerals from Rithmar. We spent days agreeing the terms … Nathan will still have them.”
Reoul had stopped flipping his dagger and was now toying with the blade. “Well … you both wasted your time,” he said after a long pause. “There will be no treaty with Nathan of Rithmar.”
Elias took another step toward his father. He wasn’t beaten yet. “There’s still time. When the Rithmar army arrives at our gates, there will be a parley. Go to Nathan, tell him there will be peace. Negotiate the terms if you wish, but don’t waste this opportunity … you won’t get another.”
Reoul went still. “What’s happened to you?” he hissed. “When you left here you were a soldier, a military commander, but now you stand before me as adiplomat?”
Elias held his ground. “There are times a man should fight … and times he should put down his sword and work toward something greater than himself.”
The king barked out a harsh laugh. “And now you’re aphilosopher?”
